Second Soul
by Passivefish32
Summary: Years after the events of Undertale, another young human falls into the Underground. They encounter Flowey, now seeking redemption for his actions and coming to terms with change. As the two unlikely friends journey through the abandoned Underground together, they learn that their fates are closely intertwined and a terrible secret is revealed.
1. Chapter 1 - Golden Flowers

"Howdy!"

I slowly opened my eyes, my head pounding incessantly. Aside from a dull ache in my chest, I felt utterly numb. Unable to make myself move, I tried to focus on what was in front of me. My vision was blurry and indistinct.

I'd landed on a bed of golden flowers – their softness reminded me of a pile of cushions. Lying flat on my back, the flowers towered over me, a congregating mass of yellow that played tricks on my eyes.

I recognised these flowers immediately. They used to grow in the town square and the fields near our house. When I was little, I would go out on sunny days and play in those fields all day. When I got tired, I'd lie down amongst the flowers and gaze at the clouds. Lying here now, there was no sky, no clouds, no Sun. Looming behind the golden flowers was a backdrop of complete darkness, punctuated by a small blotch of dim light.

 _I'm dead_ , I told myself. _I died when I fell into the mountain. This is just a dream – a happy memory of a simpler time._ I felt myself begin to drift off once more. I felt my eyelids slowly close.

"Hey, sleepyhead! Don't go dozing off on me!"

It was only now that I registered the voice. I snapped out of my stupor. As my eyes began to focus, I looked up at the flowers hanging over me. Sure enough, I wasn't alone in this place. One of the flowers was peering down at me, a cheerful expression on its face. "Took ya a while to come to!" it said. "Can you get up by yourself? I'd give ya a hand but..." The flower glanced down at its leafy appendages and gave a small, embarrassed chuckle.

I hauled myself up slowly. I felt stiff and disoriented. As I stretched, I could see that I was in some sort of cavernous chamber. A large patch of yellow flowers clustered around me, lit up by a light that was filtering down from above. The talking flower had somehow moved to the very edge of the patch, a few feet away from where I stood. It was still looking at me.

"It's been a long time since a human last fell down here!" it said cheerily.

Looking up, I saw the ceiling give way to an opening that went up and up. I couldn't see the top. I recalled my memories of the mountaintop. The rocky outcrops that dotted the peak of the mountain. Myself, standing at the mouth of the chasm, the depths of the mountain below. A moment of weightlessness as I went in, disappearing into the dark. Falling for what felt like an eternity. And then nothing – only darkness.

These memories were clear to me, and yet oddly distant. I felt as if I'd slept a thousand years. But the memories convinced me of one thing – I was alive. Somehow, I had not died from my fall. I hadn't even sustained any injuries – just a few bruises and this dazed feeling. And nothing else? I couldn't believe it.

"Where am I?" I asked the flower. It was strange to hear my own voice.

"You're in the Underground, partner!" he replied with a giggle. "Surely you've heard of it?"

I was suddenly fully alert. _The Underground!_ The old home of monsters, before they all left for the surface. I'd heard all sorts of stories about this place but I never thought I would ever see it for myself.

"You had a lucky landing," the flower continued, sensing my confusion. "If you had missed the flowers, you could have ended up flat as a pancake! Splat!" he exclaimed, kicking off a cloud of pollen.

I looked down at the flowers – they reminded me of home. What were they doing down here? And how were they able to grow here? I never would have thought they were capable of surviving in an underground environment.

And then I looked at the flower in front of me. I was utterly puzzled. These flowers that had formed such a large part of my childhood – was one of them actually _speaking_ to me?

"What's wrong? You look starstruck!" it said, winking at me with a sly grin. "Am I just that pretty?"

An unpleasant thought suddenly crossed my mind: _I may have flattened one of its friends where I landed_. I looked down at the flower patch with a sense of dread, but I could see no impression left by my fall. The flowers stood tall and healthy, their golden heads gently brushing my knees. At this point I was beginning to wonder if I'd hit my head in my fall. None of this was making any sense.

The flower gave me a troubled look. "You look completely lost. Are you sure you're feelin' ok?"

I nodded half-heartedly. "Listen," I started, "I don't want to sound rude but, well, are you–"

The flower beamed a great big smile filled with warmth. "I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower! Pleased to meet'cha!"

I needed a moment to compose myself. "N-Nice to meet you, Flowey," I answered. _Just play along_ , I told myself.

Flowey's gaze wandered off for a moment as he pondered something. "Y'know, it's funny," he eventually said. "When I first found you here I mistook you for someone else. Strange, right?"

 _Strange is an understatement_ , I thought to myself. I already knew this was impossible. I had never met a monster before – let alone a talking flower of all things.

I held that thought. _You're speaking to a flower,_ I repeated to myself over and over. _A talking flower_. And yet, to my surprise, I found I was already beginning to accept this as fact.

Flowey's eyes narrowed as he examined me. "Still, there's something oddly familiar about you. You really DO remind me of someone," he reminisced. His eyes darted rapidly from my face and hair, down to my khaki shorts and finally to my striped hoody. "Why is it always stripes?" I heard him mutter quietly to himself. Conscious of his prying eyes, I quickly checked that my left arm was fully covered. I winced slightly as I ran my fingers over the fabric of the long sleeve.

He looked up at me, smiling sweetly. "You're not them though. You look a little older, for starters."

I nodded. "I just turned fourteen recently," I told him. My birthday had been a mere two days before all of this had started – before I climbed the mountain. It's amazing how much can change in the space of two days.

He glanced down the hallway that led out of the room. "Can't tell ya how relieved I am to have some company at last," he continued. "The Underground is pretty quiet these days."

He turned to face me. "But now that you're here, I bet we'll have all kinds of fun! We'll be best pals before you know it!" At this point, I really wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into.

Flowey held a leaf up to his face in a ponderous manner. "Now, what can we do?" After a moment of intense thought, he suddenly sprung to life. "I've got an idea! Let's play a game of hide-and-seek!" he exclaimed, shaking with a playful energy. He could barely contain his excitement at this idea. "I'll hide somewhere nearby – you close your eyes for ten seconds and then try to find me!"

Obligingly, I closed my eyes and slowly counted to ten. I heard a faint rustling as the flower searched for somewhere to hide.

Upon opening my eyes, Flowey was nowhere to be seen. I scanned the room for any other potential hiding places but nothing stood out to me. I glanced at the pillars on the far side of the room – big enough to hide behind, but maybe a bit too far away to consider. The room was circular and cavernous, with a lack of crags or alcoves to use as hiding places. My gaze switched to the only other feature of the room – the golden flowers gathered at my feet.

 _I'll bet he's trying to blend in with the other flowers_ , I thought to myself. _I just need to look for one with a face_. But there were none. I examined each and every flower in the patch but they all looked the same – plain yellow flowers that seemed to cluster together in silent communion.

Then I had an idea. Crouching down, I ran my index finger along the stem of the flower closest to me. As expected, there was no response. I tried this again on another flower but got the same result. I repeated this for the flowers in my vicinity and gradually expanded outwards. Eventually I noticed one flower lurking on the edge of the field, its head slightly tilted away from the patch.

As before, I ran my index finger down the stem of the flower. I felt it tremble slightly. I repeated the action, and again the flower shook. As I tried this a third time, the flower erupted in ticklish laughter as Flowey reappeared, a hint of irritation in his voice. "H-hey, c'mon! That's cheating! You can't do that!"

I smiled. "That's a neat trick. You can hide your facial expression whenever you feel like it?"

He nodded several times in succession. "Uh huh! I can do way more than that – check this out!"

What happened next shocked me. His facial features twisted and shifted to form a new face entirely. It took me a second to realise that the face now imprinted on the flower was my own - an almost perfect replica. Then he spoke to me in a new voice. My voice.

"Just like looking in a mirror, huh?"

Gasping, I stumbled backwards in my shock. I lost my balance, landing on my back in the middle of the flower patch. Flowey's features immediately returned to normal as he laughed in delight. "The look on your face! Priceless!" he exclaimed.

I picked myself off the ground. "How on earth did you do that?" I asked once I had gotten up.

"Just one of the things that makes me who I am!" he said, giving a small shrug with his leaves. "Now it's your turn to hide. I'll close my eyes and-" He stopped himself short. "A-Actually, forget I said that!" he stammered, laughing nervously. "We can play something else. I've got a ton of ideas for games!"

As he proceeded to rattle off a list of ideas, I let my eyes wander to the patch of golden flowers. I quickly realised that I was completely transfixed on them – their effect was almost intoxicating to me. I felt a deep longing to return home – to go back to those golden fields. Nostalgic daydreams aside, I couldn't reconcile these desires with my own thoughts. Had I forgotten the reasons why I ran away in the first place?

Flowey had finished running through his list of games. He looked at me expectantly. "So, what do you fancy?"

I decided there was no good way to phrase it. "Flowey, it's been a pleasure meeting you," I told him. "But I'm afraid I can't stay. I should really be getting back to the surface." I paused, struggling to get the words out. "Back home."

Flowey immediately deflated. "Oh..." he breathed. He turned away from me, clearly disappointed. His petals drooped a little as he stared at the ground in silence. He remained like this for a while.

I was unsure what to do. His sudden sombreness had me concerned and I was already feeling a bit guilty. I felt I should at least try to cheer him up a bit. But, as I looked closer, I noticed to my shock that he was trembling slightly. I opened my mouth to say something but he spoke first.

"I see. It's only natural that you'd want to go home," he sighed. He turned to face the passage leaning out of the room. "It's some way from here, though. The path that leads back to the surface is on the other side of the Underground – it'll take some time to get there by foot."

Suddenly, he spun around. "B-but I can help you!" he said, almost breathless. In an instant, his solemn expression was gone. "I know this place better than anyone. I can show you the way there!"

"That's the sort of thing a friend would do, right?" he postured. "Well then, I'd say we're on the way to being good friends already!"

He turned away from me, eyes set on the corridor leading out of the room we were in. "And who knows? Once I've shown you around, you might decide you like it down here. Maybe you'll like it more than the surface!"

Before I could utter a response to this, he dipped down into the ground and vanished. I looked all around the room for him but he was nowhere to be seen. Where had he gone? Was this another game of hide and seek?

And then I noticed it. There was something lying a short distance from the flower patch – a long, stick-like object with a handle. I approached it and, kneeling down, picked it up off the ground. I recognised it as one of the hiking poles I'd used on my journey up the mountain. The climb to the peak had been far more difficult than I'd anticipated, so the pair of hiking poles had proven vital in my ascent. The other pole was nowhere in sight. Next to it was the leather shoulder sling with a quiver-like bag which I'd used for storing the poles and carrying them with me.

I sighed. There was hardly any reason to take these with me if I didn't have both poles. Unless…

I examined the field tip on the end of the pole – it was made of steel and razor sharp. As flimsy as the pole was, it crossed my mind that it might serve as a makeshift weapon. I had no idea what dangers I might encounter in the Underground – it would be best to avoid taking any chances. I placed the hiking pole back inside the leather bag and slung it across my shoulder.

I looked behind me. Flowey had reappeared by the hallway leading out of the chamber, jittering about excitedly. "Come on! Follow me, buddy!" he called out, visibly eager to get going. I stood up and took one last look at the room. It was a truly peaceful place. I felt a gentle breeze against my skin – it was drifting down from the surface, causing the yellow flowers to sway ever so slightly back and forth. I swore I could even hear faint sounds as they echoed down from the peak into the depths of the mountain. I felt a subtle temptation to stay there for a while longer, but fought it off. There was much more to see and my companion was getting impatient. I ran to catch up with him and we set off together into the Ruins.

And that's how I met Flowey. So much has happened since then. As I sit here now in bed, trying to piece it all together, I still can't make sense of everything I experienced in that place. And I'm not sure I ever will.

I will document what I can remember here, along with some materials I wrote at the time. I am tired and they told me that I need to rest – but I cannot sit here and do nothing. Sleep doesn't come easily anymore, anyway.

I am still unsure how this will end, and what may happen next. But, in writing this, I hope I can someday share my story of our journey through the Underground, and how, together, we escaped a fate of incomprehensible cruelty.

This isn't over. I need to honour the promise I made to him. I need to go back.

There's still time to set things right.


	2. Chapter 2 - Asgore Dreemurr

We started making our way through the Ruins. Flowey would stay slightly ahead of me, leading the way wherever we go. He would spring up out of the ground enthusiastically at regular intervals, making small talk with me as we journeyed through those ancient, winding corridors.

I could make out a series of switches and stone plaques on the brick walls. A quick glimpse at one of the plaques showed that they displayed instructions for advancing through a set of obstacles. It seems that this place was designed as some sort of gauntlet or trial, with a number of traps and puzzles laid out along our path. As I discovered, however, many of these would-be obstacles were deactivated and no longer in use. We passed through them effortlessly – it was almost disappointing.

Walking through one room, we passed a rickety old target dummy of some sort. Covered in a thick layer of dust, it looked like it hadn't been used in a long, long time. I found something sad about it, and yet oddly reassuring – a mix of feelings I couldn't quite explain. We walked on past it without note.

After navigating another deactivated trap, we reached a long, narrow hallway that stretched on into the distance. I grimaced when I saw it. I was still feeling completely drained and was unsure how much energy I had for a long walk. Flowey noticed my expression. "Don't worry!" he tried to reassure me. "It might look a bit daunting but we'll be fine if we stick together!"

Crossing this room proved to be a surprisingly difficult challenge. The hallway was completely featureless in every aspect and seemed to stretch on forever. After we had been going for a while (I know not how long) I was starting to feel very fatigued. Flowey turned to me. "You wouldn't want to go through this place on your own. Trust me, it's practically labyrinthine! You're bound to get lost without a guide," he insisted. "But don't worry – I've got your back!" I gave a small, unconvinced nod as I looked down the seemingly endless hallway. To my relief, the end of the hall had just come into view. Though I had reason to doubt Flowey's claim about losing your way on a straight path, for me it was easily the most arduous obstacle we encountered in that place.

As we went on, it had become apparent that my companion was neglecting to tell me anything about this place. As chatty as Flowey was, he didn't seem to have much of an interest in describing our surroundings. He was unusually prone to distraction – most of the locations we passed he ignored or left unexplained. _If this is supposed to be a tour_ , I thought, _then he's not much of a tour guide_. For now, I was left to make sense of my surroundings by myself. That said, I was still curious to learn more about this strange creature.

We came to another room. My eyes were drawn to a small table in the middle of the room. Looking closely, I could just make out what looked like crumbs of cheese that dotted the table top. _Well, so much for making sense of this place_ , I thought to myself. I decided that now might be a good time to ask Flowey a bit about himself.

"Flowey, are you really the only one living down here?" I asked. I was still struck by the fact that we had encountered no-one else so far.

Flowey turned his head slightly in my direction. "Yup, just little old me! Been that way for a long time now – ever since the barrier fell."

I was always fascinated by the story of how monsters arrived on the surface after so many years trapped underground. But I'd never considered the possibility of monsters wishing to stay underground. "That was a long time ago." I said. "Why didn't you join them when they left? Don't you want to go the surface?"

Flowey stopped and turned to face me. "Well, yeah... maybe a little," he said with some hesitation.

"You could leave at any time, right? What's stopping you?" I asked. I was unsure if it was wise to continue down this line of questioning, but my curiosity was urging me on.

"Myself," he answered, seemingly in earnest. He paused. "I'm quite the troublemaker – or at least I used to be. I didn't think I'd be a great fit for the surface unless I made an effort to change. So I decided I should stay here for the time being – for a few reasons."

"That must have been a tough decision to make," I said.

He nodded. "It does get pretty lonely down here at times – when there's no-one to play with." He gave a great big smile. "Which is why it's great that you're here!"

"Do you think you'll be able to do it?" I continued. "To change, I mean." I was unsure what to say – I still couldn't grasp what he meant by 'change'. It seemed like I was missing something crucial –something I sensed he wasn't ready to divulge. Yet.

He gave me a hopeful look. "Actually, I think I've changed a lot already. I definitely don't feel the same as I used to be." He looked down at the two leaves that protruded from his stem, held out like a little pair of hands. "I'm not there yet, though. I just need more time." He looked back up at me. "It's been tough, but I made that choice and I'm determined to stick to it. I ain't settin' root on the surface – not until I'm ready."

We kept moving. I was growing more and more tired but was kept awake by my interest in this strange place. I got the sense we were getting close to our destination. We were both quiet for a while, accentuating the silence that lingered within those hallways.

Eventually, Flowey started up again. "The place is a bit quiet but there are some good things about it. I can do whatever I like with no-one around!" he said with a grin. "I'll bet you're unaware that you're speaking to royalty right now?"

I gave him a confused look which he answered with a wide grin. "Didn't ya know? I'm the King of this place!" he declared, puffing himself up. "I named myself King of the Underground after the last one left. I've even got my own throne!"

This piqued my curiosity. "The last one? Would that have been Asgore Dreemurr?" I ventured.

Flowey's response to this question was unexpected. He froze as a rush of indistinguishable expressions crossed his face. "T-There's a spare throne in the throne room," Flowey stuttered nervously. "We can share the monarchy… if you like..." He silently signalled the path I should take and then quickly dipped back into the ground, leaving me to proceed on my own. I was completely taken aback by Flowey's reaction to my question. I couldn't understand the reason why the King's name had such an impact on him.

With Flowey gone, the silence of the Ruins was total – almost haunting. I walked on by myself, utterly uncomfortable. The complete and total absence of any sound was stifling, like being trapped in a vacuum.

And then I thought about Flowey. This is what he had lived with for so long – before I got here. This was all he knew.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Village

I proceeded through the Ruins on my own. The sound of my footsteps reverberated down the hallways – the only sound in that place. I was initially apprehensive of proceeding without Flowey. I went on telling myself that if I took a wrong turn, he would most likely appear to correct me. And yet I found I was able to find my way remarkably easily. For the most part it was a straightforward path through the connecting rooms. Whenever I came to a junction, I had a sense for the correct path to take.

 _So much for his claims about this place being a challenge to navigate_ , I thought. Part of me wondered if I could cover more distance if I went on by myself. _If it's this easy to get back to the surface, I could probably make faster progress if I go on alone_ , I told myself. But I quickly decided against it. I had done a good job so far at predicting the right path, but Flowey was the one who knew the way. I also had no idea how much further we had to travel. For now at least, it would be best to play it safe and accept his help – if he decided to come back.

After a while, I arrived at a clearing. At the far end was some kind of building, a large stone plaque looming above the entrance. In the centre of the courtyard stood an old, ragged tree. All of the leaves had fallen off long ago, clustered in a big orange mass on the floor underneath its branches. A light dusting of leaves had blown away from the main pile, scattering themselves across the floor and along the windows of that peculiar building.

As I approached the entrance, I felt a wave of drowsiness wash over me. I'd forgotten how tired I was. I sat down amongst the leaves under the large withered tree – it was surprisingly comfortable. I leaned back against the trunk of the old tree. The setting was like an autumn evening – peaceful and deeply soothing. I breathed a quiet sigh as I slowly closed my eyes.

It wasn't long before I was greeted with another surprise. Without warning, Flowey sprung out of the ground by my side, kicking up a cloud of leaves. My heart jumped – I was so startled I almost leapt to my feet. He giggled mischievously. "You weren't expecting me to come back, were you?" he joked. He seemed to have put aside, or completely forgotten about, his earlier solemn mood.

"You definitely gave me a shock," I answered, admittedly disgruntled by the rude awakening. As I rubbed my eyes, I looked down at the orange leaves all around us, and then up at the blackened branches of the withered old tree. "I think you might have scared the poor tree more, though."

He laughed. "I always thought the same thing!" he agreed, looking up at the ragged branches. "I mean, just look at it! It looks so scared and stupid." He picked up some of the leaves around him and chucked them into the air playfully. "By the way, congrats on making it here by yourself!" he commented. "You figured this place out pretty quickly. You're a natural, I tell ya."

I started to relax again, easing back against the tree trunk. I was half-hoping Flowey might permit me a moment to rest. Of course, this wasn't to be. He drew a little closer to me, clearly in a talkative mood. "So, you're from the surface, right? Tell me what's going on up there," he went on. "I want to know how humans and monsters are getting on. I'll bet they're at each other's throats by now, right?" I was about to utter a reply but he interrupted me. "No, wait! Let me guess. I have a theory I've been working on." I decided to let him have the floor. I didn't have the energy to challenge him, in any case.

"Here's my theory," he began, spreading his leaves out wide as if he were presenting a case. "I'll bet the monsters went to war with humanity again, just like they always said they would. Only this time, they _won_. But they still want revenge – I wouldn't put it past them. So now it's the humans' turn to be trapped underground – once they've sealed off the mountain again with a new Barrier." He looked up at me. "And you're the first one they threw down here."

I looked back at him in stunned silence.

"So, am I right?" he continued, a sly grin creeping up onto his face. "Can I be expecting more company soon?"

"O-of course not!" I stammered. "How did you come to that con..."

He burst into laughter. "I'm only joking!" He tried to compose himself. "Did you really think I was being serious? Jeez, you've gotta lighten up a little!"

I slumped back against the tree trunk and breathed a mixed sigh of relief and tiredness. "I'm sorry. It's been a long day."

"But, jokes aside, I am curious," he persisted. "Do they actually get on at all? I can't envision it."

I hesitated, unsure how to respond. "I... can't say for sure," I eventually forced out. "There haven't been any major conflicts that I know of. I think humanity is still coming to terms with living with another race of people." That was my gut feeling on the subject, informed by the research I had done but little else. "The thing is, I've never actually met a monster before. I can only speak from my own experience."

He reacted in surprise to this admission. "Really?" he asked. "You mean I'm the first monster you've ever met?"

I nodded. I felt that was the most honest response I could have given. When it came to the idea of humans and monsters living in harmony together, I didn't have the full picture in front of me - far from it. And while Flowey's 'theory' was obviously ridiculous, my first-hand experience didn't paint an optimistic picture of the situation either.

He nodded slowly, pondering something to himself. "Ok then. Tell me a bit about yourself," he said after a while. "How'd you end up falling down the mountain?"

I had not been expecting to speak to anyone about this – let alone a talking flower. But I strongly suspected this wasn't a subject Flowey would be willing to drop. However, I knew that if I had to describe my situation and the decisions that brought me here, I would have to start from the beginning.

I told him about the place where I grew up... about home. That sleepy little village situated far away from anywhere, practically isolated from the rest of the world. I described the thatched houses and the church spire that was just visible from our home. The golden flowers that grew in the rural pastures and the village square. To the outside eye, it would seem to be a perfectly peaceful, idyllic place. I noticed Flowey drawing closer – he seemed to be listening with interest.

But underneath this exterior, there lay a culture of fear and resentment. The townspeople harboured a vehement hatred of monsters. This hatred manifested itself in every aspect of life in that place. It was almost like a disease, festering away at the populace and twisting many of them into backward, fear-crazed sociopaths.

I don't think it was always this way. It all stemmed from a single event that, as children, we were never privy to. I was too young at the time to remember it myself. The townspeople would speak in hushed tones about something terrible that had befallen the village in the past – an incident that had left an irreparable scar in the minds of those who claim to have witnessed it. It had allegedly involved a monster that had escaped from the Underground and suddenly appeared in the village square. It was a taboo subject, especially for the children. Non-adults were forbidden from mentioning it and were swiftly rebuked if caught. When we asked why they wouldn't tell us, they simply insisted that they were trying to protect us. I'm certain it was this event that had caused the once peaceful, outward-facing place I called home to turn in on itself.

I went on to describe what it was like growing up. How we were taught, as children, that monsters were our enemies, and that we should kill any monster that dares come near the village. 'Vicious, dangerous creatures that couldn't be trusted' – those were their words. We grew up in an atmosphere of terror, led to believe that these creatures were lurking in the shadows, waiting to get us. Some kids would even carry concealed weapons, in case they encountered a monster while they were out playing.

He gave an incredulous smirk at this, saying that he couldn't imagine me killing a fly, let alone a monster. Perhaps he's right about that. I was never able to fit in there. I was generally seen as a frail child, overly sensitive and unable to cope with fear. I was frequently bullied by the other children who saw me as a weakling. Their constant aggression made me hate that place even more.

The arrival of monsters on the surface led to the townsfolk tempering their hatred – but only slightly. We went on living in isolation – as we even began to shut ourselves off from contact with human civilisation. No monster colony has ever attempted to settle anywhere near us. To this day, there remains a bitter animosity towards monsters that has never gone away.

As much as I despised living there, I'd never left that place. The village was so insular and controlling. We were told that we would only be able to leave the village properly once we reached adulthood. I suppose the idea was that, by that point, we would be so indoctrinated that we'd no longer want to leave.

But I'd always wanted to travel and learn more about the outside world. Climbing Mt. Ebott had been my first glimpse at the world outside of the confines of the village. And though it's true that I'd never actually met a monster before, I've always held a strong interest in monster-kind. I would collect newspaper clippings, articles, anything I could find from the outside world concerning the monsters who lived on the surface.

I'd longed planned to run away and explore the world myself. But I was apprehensive of what I knew little about, and the consequences that could arise if I was ever found and sent back home. And so I put it off – again and again.

Then, one day, something happened. Something horrible. And I knew I couldn't stay. At the time, as we were sat under that tree, I was convinced I couldn't tell anyone about it – not even Flowey. I was worried my vagueness on the matter would disappoint him. But to my surprise, and relief, he didn't press me on this when I mentioned it. He just nodded slowly in an almost introspective manner.

"And so I made my decision to leave for Mt. Ebott", I continued. I'd left early the next morning, before anyone had woken up. I packed up as much of my father's old hiking equipment as I could carry and set out. The rain was hammering down but it provided me with good cover to make my escape. It took a full day to travel to Ebott and climb to the peak. I was completely exhausted when I reached the top. I spent the evening up there under a sprawling, starlit sky. I'll never forget that moment – what I felt as I gave myself up to that infinite darkness. And then, just like that, I was falling. It just happened.

Flowey reacted in puzzlement. "Why the mountain though?" he pondered out loud. "Seems like an odd choice."

There were a couple of reasons behind my decision to make the daunting climb "The adults had always described Mt. Ebott as a cursed place – that those who climbed to the top would disappear and never come back," I explained to him. "I wanted to rebel against their legends, to prove them wrong. But it was more than a bit scary for me."

"Maybe they were right about the curse," Flowey observed, giving a small smile. "You did fall in, after all."

"I don't consider that such a bad thing anymore," I remarked.

Flowey laughed like a hyena at that. "You're amazing!" he exclaimed. "You're really taking this in your stride, aren't ya?" He took a moment to compose himself. "But I have to wonder: was that your only reason?"

I shook my head. "I wanted to be alone, or at least out of human company. I needed to go somewhere I knew would be devoid of people." I paused before continuing. "Honestly, I think I wouldn't mind it if I never saw another human again."

Flowey looked at me in disbelief. "You can't be serious," he gasped.

"I've seen just how evil some of us can be. How willing they can be to scare themselves and their own children, just so they can fulfil their desire to hate something – anything," I said. "I refuse to be a part of that."

Flowey still looked puzzled. "But you still want to go back to the surface, right?" he asked. There was something peculiar about how he'd asked this question – a quality to his voice that I couldn't place.

But he was right. I couldn't deny the impulse I felt to go back, even if I couldn't explain it. "I'll never go back home, but I feel I can't stay away from the surface for good," I told him. "I… can't describe it. It's just a feeling I have. That I should _be_ there."

When I get back to the surface, I decided to myself then and there, I would find a place where monsters lived – perhaps near a city, wherever they may be – and live with them. That, or I would travel the world alone. "All I know is that I can't go back home," I insisted to Flowey. "There's nothing for me there. Nothing I can go back to."

"Well, what about family?" he asked. "You got any parents?"

"Just my Mom now," I replied after some hesitation.

I saw a touch of concern in Flowey's eyes. "She must be wondering what happened to ya."

I shook my head. "I... left her a note... before I headed out."

We were both silent for a while. The only sound in the courtyard was a faint rustling of leaves. Eventually Flowey piped up.

"Well, how about that! You're a real loner too!" he declared with a grin. "Welcome to the club."

I smiled at this. "Don't worry. For now, I think we'll be able to keep the membership low."

"Fate's a funny thing, isn't it?" he suddenly broke off, seemingly out of nowhere. "If things had happened differently, we may have never met one another!"

I started to think to myself: was this really an act of fate? I rolled this question through my mind. Somehow I had escaped from what seemed like certain death. If I had been spared death, was there a reason why I was here? A purpose for me to fulfil? Just thinking about it was making my head spin.

Flowey gave me a sidelong glance. "You look kinda tired," he said. "We should stop for a while." He gestured to the building behind us. "You should rest up in there. There's food, shelter - everything a human could need!" He looked up at me. "We've reached the very end of the Ruins now. We can move on when you're ready."

Dragging myself up wearily from the pile of leaves, I approached the front door of the stone building. It now occurred to me that this was a house of some sort. I turned back, expecting Flowey to follow me in. "You go ahead!" he insisted. "I prefer it out here, honestly. Make yourself at home!"

I went inside on my own, leaving Flowey to mill around by himself outside. After the events of today, I was eagerly looking forward to getting some rest.


	4. Chapter 4 - King of the Underground

Dear Diary,

I've arrived in a strange place, and made an unlikely friend.

I'm writing this from what appears to be the old home of a monster. I found this diary in a side draw in one of the bedrooms. I have to admit: this isn't what I expected a monster's home to look like. It bares many similarities to the homes of humans. The house contains a kitchen and several bedrooms. There's a comfortable living space with a family table, fireplace and bookshelves. Flicking through some of the books, it seems that there are still some large differences between our races (especially regarding diet). But it's funny and somewhat relieving to learn that monsters appear to have the same needs as humans, right down to the little things.

There's also a stairway in the hall that seems to lead down to a basement. There's a chill breeze drifting up from there that's making the rest of the house a bit cold. I want to go down there and see where it's coming from. But my mind wanders when I'm tired, and will conjure up fearful images – dreadful possibilities of what it _could_ be. So I'll block it out – shut it out of my head, and make do with the cold.

This is the place I have found myself in, without any real explanation or reason. And then there's my companion: Flowey. A golden flower, just like the ones that would grow back home – only he talks and...

Should anyone ever read this, I'll have trouble convincing them that this is all truth. They'll think I've gone mad. I won't blame them – I had my own suspicions at first. But I have gradually managed to convince myself of the reality of my situation. I am here, deep underground in the remains of a long-abandoned civilization, and Flowey is my guide. He's promised he's going to show me the way out of here, which is a great relief. I'm relying on him – more than I'd like to admit. As fascinating as this place and its history is to me, there's an eerie quality to everything that puts me on-edge. I can vividly imagine the monsters that once lived in this place, as if a part of them continues to inhabit these halls. It's times like this when I wish I didn't believe in ghosts.

Anyway, returning to Flowey, I'm still not sure what to make of him. He's completely unlike anyone I've ever met on the surface. He's sharp-sighted and mischievous, and I know he's already caught on to my panicky nature. But there's a sense of mutual respect between us. Though he seldom stopped talking today, he didn't push me to tell him anything I'd rather not share. I can only assume that he has secrets of his own – though this reticence doesn't appear to extend to his emotions. His shifts in mood are erratic and unpredictable, to the point where I have to be cautious about what I say for fear of getting a bad reaction. That said, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find his off-beat nature charming in its own way.

I try my best not to pry, but I have so many questions about this peculiar flower. His story is still unclear to me. How long has he been down here? Has he really been down here since all monsters were freed? Trapped here all this time, alone? He insists that it was his own choice, born out of a desire to 'change' – but what change can be so important to warrant living like this?

My curiosity is difficult to suppress, but I'm hoping I'll learn more as we travel. Maybe I can convince him to come with me back to the surface. I'll confess I don't like the idea of him returning to a life of solitude once I'm gone. It feels… unjust.

The strangest thing of all, however, is this closeness I feel towards him. A sense of familiarity I cannot explain. His friendliness and interest in me adds to the feeling that our meeting wasn't pure coincidence. That we might even share some sort of connection.

Now I really am rambling. I'm probably just imagining things. I've felt murky and unfocused ever since I ended up here. I'm sure I'm just tired.

I managed to find some clean bandages in one of the drawers. I suppose I should have taken some spares with me when I left home. Things were so rushed and I wasn't able to think straight. But hopefully these will tide me over until I escape from here.

…

Escape from what? Escape to...what?

That's enough.

* * *

I had a dream that night. I say 'night' as an arbitrary measure of time. Deep underground, it was impossible to ascertain the time of day. It was difficult enough to keep focus on the passage of time – it was almost as if time stood still in this empty world. Similarly, I only say 'dream' as a vague descriptor for what I experienced that night – because it did not feel like a dream. It was more like a clump of muffled, disembodied voices. Everything was dark – just like when I fell, swallowed up into the belly of the mountain. A single, gruff voice stood out amongst the dull cacophony, trying to reach out to me across this infinite darkness. They sounded deeply distressed. I was only able to catch the tail-end of what they were trying to say.

"…please… wake up! You are the future of humans and monsters…"

I woke up suddenly with a jolt. I sat up in bed, completely mystified. "What was that?" I said aloud to myself, scratching my head. It almost felt like a memory – as if those words had been spoken to me, or through me. But I knew this couldn't possibly be true. I had no memory of those words – or the owner of the voice I'd heard.

But the voice's message had held some resonance with me. 'You are the future of humans and monsters.' I sat in bed for a while as I thought hard about the possible explanations for this dream and its bizarre message. Had the voice been addressing me with those words? And if so, what had they meant? Were those words my calling – my purpose?

Eventually I decided to put it aside. _It was just a dream_ , I told myself. _Dreams don't necessarily need to mean anything_. But I kept those words close to me – and I still think about the meaning of the voice's message to this day.

I got out of bed and stretched. I could tell I'd slept a while before the dream had woken me. I got ready, catching a glimpse of myself in the hallway mirror before heading outside.

Flowey was already up and waiting for me, exactly where I had left him. "Mornin'!" he said cheerfully. "Sleep well? We've got a bit further to travel before we hit the next stop. Are you feeling better?"

I nodded. Some of my drowsiness lingered on but I was starting to feel better. Flowey looked pleased. "That's good!" he smiled. "But before we get going, d'ya wanna see something cool?" He peered around cautiously for a few seconds before continuing, as if to ascertain if it was safe to proceed. "Wait here for just a moment!" He dipped down into the ground and vanished. A couple of minutes passed before I started wondering where he'd gone. I looked around the clearing for any sign of movement but there was no sign of him. _Perhaps he got lost looking for what he wanted to show me_ , I considered. _Maybe I should…_

My thoughts were cut short as something huge fell from the sky, crashing into the ground a few feet ahead of me and sending leaves flying in all directions. The sound was deafening. I almost lost my balance as the ground shook from the impact. After steadying myself and taking a moment to recover from my shock, I was able to identify the fallen object before me. It was a throne – the one Flowey had told me about earlier.

Flowey rose up in the seat of the throne, mimicking the sound of trumpeting fanfare. "All hail King Flowey the First! Ruler of the Underground!" he proclaimed loudly, accompanied by more raucous fanfare. The leaves were slowly drifting down around him like confetti. "Loyal subjects!" he decreed, "Bow before your King!" He puffed himself up in a regal fashion, looking at me expectantly.

As I quickly feigned a graceful bowing motion, I snuck a glance at the throne. It was an ornate design, made of gold and purple velvet. The back of the throne was fashioned into a pair of jutting horns, giving it an air of command. The seat was emblazoned a royal emblem depicting what looked like a winged being hovering over three triangles. _An Angel?_ I asked myself.

 _This must be Asgore's old throne_ , I realised. I started to wonder: why was it left down here when the monsters left this place? And what was it doing _here_ , in these Ruins of all places? I hadn't encountered anything resembling a throne room on my way here. _Perhaps Flowey had moved it from its original location_ , I speculated. B _ut why?_ I kept these questions to myself to avoid another reaction from him.

Flowey gave a thoroughly self-satisfied grin. "Impressive, right?" he boasted. "I used to have a crown too – before it was taken."

'Taken?' His choice of words made me curious. What was he talking about?

I only had a brief moment to ruminate on this before Flowey piped up again. "Alright, enough foolin' around! The King has ordered that we move out!" he announced. He turned to face the entrance to the house where I had slept. "Onward!" he cheered, vanishing into the ground in an instant.

I blinked a few times, uncomprehending. It seems his little game of playing 'King' had brought out some hidden energy in him. He had gotten himself so worked up that he'd run off ahead without me. This left me needing to find the way by myself – again.

But which way had he gone? I looked back at the house. Then I remembered the staircase in the hallway and the cold wind that emanated up from the basement. I grimaced. That had to be where he'd gone, and I would have to follow him down there. I braced myself for the worst as I headed back inside.


	5. Chapter 5 - Snow Day To Feel Down

I descended the stairs into the basement of the house. To my surprise, rather than a cellar or vault, there was a long cave-like passageway that ran underneath the house. I could still feel the chill breeze against my skin – it drifted past me and rose up the stairs. _The source of the breeze must be at the end of this passageway_ , I told myself. With trepidation, I followed this path all the way to its end – unsure what I would find.

I eventually reached an antechamber with a large door. The door had swung wide open – the breeze was stronger here. I went through and crossed the main chamber. The gateway at the end of this chamber led me out of the basement and into a completely new environment. Flowey was already there, waiting for me. We were standing outside the Ruins – the entrance loomed behind us, marked by a pair of ornate stone pillars. There was a familiar cold breeze blowing and the ground was thick with snow. "Good job!" Flowey said with a congratulatory grin. "You made it out all by yourself! Gotta say, I'm mighty impressed."

I glanced behind him. We were standing at the beginning of a long road that stretched out into the distance. The road was lined with tall trees, their trunks forming a barrier that defeated any attempt to stray off-course. For now, there was only one path for us to follow, unsurprisingly.

"We've still got a way to go – but who says we can't have some fun on the way?" he said with a giggle. He seemed to be gearing up for something. "Come on!" he called out to me as he started down the path, "Time's a'wastin'!"

I hastily made my way down the long road, struggling to keep pace with Flowey. I already felt like we were back in the narrow brick passageways that had made up so much of the Ruins. But once we eventually reached the end of this corridor of trees, I was taken aback at what I saw. The road opened up into a sprawling highland region full of snow-covered mountains, hills and icy lakes. Pine trees dotted the hills and congregated at the base of some of the hills to form sprawling, snow-capped forests. It was a regular winter wonderland that spread out far into the distance. I had no idea such an environment could exist deep underground.

Now that we had left the Ruins, Flowey was in a relentlessly playful mood. He was diving in and out of the snow as we went along. His constant bounding around reminded me of an overexcited puppy. As we made our way across the snowy fields, we passed the time by playing all sorts of games. We raced each other across the hills, we played tag and some more hide-and-seek. We even clumsily attempted to ice-skate on one of the frozen lakes.

We explored a few of the various caves we discovered along the way. There was one particularly large cavern we'd entered, its mouth lined with long icicles and the walls covered with frost. As I had explored, I'd suddenly heard voices echoing up from its depths. I felt myself shiver – though not from the cold wind drifting in from outside. I turned and ran back out from the way we came with Flowey in tow. In retrospect, those noises were probably Flowey trying to trick me. He was smirking with amusement the whole time.

I managed to climb up some of the pine trees that dotted the slopes of the hills – it was the first time I'd ever attempted to climb a tree. The snow was very deep in some places so I had no fears of a rough landing if I fell. Or so I thought. I ended up falling out of one of the trees I climbed, though not from a great height. The snow was thin where I landed but I only sustained a slight graze to my knee – nothing more serious than that. Later on, we spent some time making a snowman – and even snow angels. Flowey's angel made me laugh with its big, petaled head and stubby little wings.

We must have spent hours out there in the snow. It reminded me of when I used to play in the fields as a child. The only difference now was that I had a companion – a golden flower reminiscent of the flowers from those very same fields. I shook my head, still aware of how strange that thought was.

We came to a stop at the top of one of the many hills. I sat down in the snow. The view was impressive. I could see the hills, mountain ranges, cliffs and emerald pine trees that made up this alpine landscape, stretching out in all directions as far as I could see. There were no signs of civilisation anywhere. I wondered how much further we had to travel before we would reach a stop.

"Wow, what a day!" Flowey remarked, seemingly pleased with himself. We had both quietened down after our day of games. We were settled down on the snowy bank, both enjoying the gentle breeze that rolled over the hills. Of course, Flowey didn't stay like this for long. He suddenly sprung up as an idea crossed his mind. "Hey, how about a snowball fight?" he proposed eagerly.

It had been a long time since I'd last gotten involved in a snowball fight. I vaguely remember one time when I was very little - it had snowed the night before and we were all outside playing together. Those days were long gone though - we were all a lot less innocent now. "Yeah! That would be great!" I answered, before I noticed what might be a slight problem with his idea. "I mean, I'd love to. But how do you plan to..." I started, motioning at him somewhat awkwardly.

He glanced down at his 'leaf-hands'. His look betrayed an uncertainty as he considered the practicalities. Undeterred, he bent down and tried to scoop up some of the snow with his little leaves. The small mound he was able to pick up immediately slid out of his grasp, pouring back onto the ground. He tried again a few times but got the same result. He gave a quick look of exasperation before glancing up at me.

"Not to worry!" he said with a smile, evidently not dissuaded. "I've got just the thing for this!" At that moment, two enormous tentacle-like vines burst out of the snow by his sides. They towered over us both, swaying back and forth slowly. I gasped as I looked up at them. They must have been at least three times my height, and as thick as the length of one of my arms.

"I think I might have a slight advantage here," Flowey snickered. "I hope you're prepared!"

On that note, the vines swung down across the ground. They scooped up a chunk of snow each and set to work, deftly shaping them into two snowballs.

I suspected it would be unwise to hold my ground here. I started running down the slope of the hill, aiming to put some distance between us. As I glanced over my shoulder, I saw one of the vines launch its snowball with a flicking motion. It landed a short distance from me. I kept running forward, trying not to look back. I felt the impact of the second snowball as it hit me in the square of my back, almost knocking me forward. They were travelling at quite a speed! I heard Flowey laughing gleefully.

I stopped running and turned back. Flowey was on the opposite bank from me – I'd put some good distance between us. His vines were already setting about forming another set of snowballs but I was at a safe-enough distance to avoid any incoming projectiles. I crouched down and scooped up some loose snow, crunching it into a ball. I needed to come up with a way to fight back – was there any way I could contend with those things? I quickly glanced up. I could see Flowey in the distance – he was laughing loudly. "Don't get too comfortable over there!" I heard him call out as one of his vines gave a small wave. Then, before I could even blink, him and the vines shot down into the ground at a remarkable speed, disappearing from my sight.

 _Uh oh_ , I thought. I already knew where this was going. I got to my feet, clutching the snowball in my right hand, and braced myself. I counted the seconds as they went past. _One… two… three… four-_

Flowey and his vines burst out of the snow with a massive crash, like some subterranean, tentacled beast. I steadied myself as the massive vines loomed over me. The vine on my left lugged a chunk of snow at me in an overarm motion. I quickly dodged under the incoming projectile and hurled my snowball in retaliation, aiming for Flowey. The right vine crossed over in front of him, blocking my shot from hitting home. I dodged the second snowball as I ran off to the side, staying low to the ground as I scooped up more snow. "Not bad, not bad!" I heard Flowey call out in amusement.

We kept playing like this for a while, running from hill to hill as we relentlessly pelted each other with snowballs. The whole fight was fast-paced and absolutely exhausting. I got hit a few times by Flowey but was struggling to land a single hit on him. It was a real challenge to get a good shot on him when he was able to use the vines to protect himself. It also didn't help that he was such a small target. None of this bothered me though – I was having so much fun.

Eventually, once we had both gotten very tired, I managed to get him. As he ducked down into the ground again, I was able to successfully predict where he would reappear. I flung my snowball at him as he emerged roughly twenty feet away from me. Unable to react in time, the snowball hit him square in the face with a satisfying 'thud'. He pitched backwards and fell over, sinking into the snow. The two vines he controlled shot back down into the ground, disappearing from sight. "Gotcha!" I cheered victoriously. I took a moment to catch my breath, panting heavily as I waited for him to get up. There were no signs of movement. Confused, I cautiously walked over to the spot where he had been. There was an impression left in the snow where he had tumbled over, and nothing else. He had vanished again.

I quickly readied another snowball and began to patrol the hill. I moved slowly and cautiously, keeping my eyes peeled for Flowey. I expected him to pop up and pelt me at any moment. He could appear from any angle – I'd need to have quick reactions to dodge his attack. Perhaps I'd get lucky and sneak in another hit on him, I hoped.

I passed under an enormous tree at the very top of the hill – its branches were heavy with a thick layer of snow, casting a giant shadow on the hill. I looked down the slope of the hill for any signs of movement at its base. Still nothing. _If he appears further down the slope, I'll have the advantage of the high ground_ , I thought to myself. _I should be safe up here until he shows himself_. At that moment, my thoughts were interrupted as I felt a small tremor under my feet. I detected a movement behind me. I remembered the snow-covered tree I was currently standing under.

I think I'd already predicted what was going to happen, but it was too late. The tremors returned, far more intense than before. I could feel the tree shaking rapidly behind me. Before I could get clear, the snow that had settled on the tree came crashing down on top of me. I was instantly submerged under a deluge of snow. Gasping for breath, I struggled to claw my way out. I glimpsed the surface and climbed out of the giant snow mound I'd been buried under. I shook the damp snow off me, completely out of breath and shivering. My clothes were soaked through and I was chilled to the bone.

Flowey emerged from the snow drift a short distance away, doubled over in hysterical laughter. "Got you!" he declared, evidently delighted that his trap for me had worked out as planned. "You forgot to look up!"

I let myself fall back on to the soft snow piled up underneath me. I was cold and damp, but I had to laugh a little at my dumb mistake. We went on laughing together for some time. After a while, we eventually both calmed down from our playful moods.

Flowey joined me underneath the big tree, its branches now free of its heavy burden. "This… this feels great!" Flowey exclaimed. He seemed to be brimming with happiness. "You're so good at this!"

Bewildered, I raised an eyebrow at him. "Good? I'm pretty sure you won this snowball fight fairly decisively," I insisted, "even before you got me with the tree!"

He laughed. "That wasn't what I meant, silly!" He paused as something seemed to cross his mind. "Hang on… I haven't explained that yet, have I?"

I looked at him with interest. Was this to do with what he had told me earlier about himself?

"Uh, well…" he hesitated. "I told you I was looking to change the way I am. The way I act." He glanced up at me. "I'm sure that, looking at me now, you must think I'm the picture of emotional stability!"

I flashed him a quick smile, acknowledging the sarcasm. At least, that's what I'd hoped it was.

"But things used to be different," he continued. "Back then, I couldn't feel a thing – I had no emotions whatsoever."

I was taken aback _. No emotions?_ I thought, _Is that even possible?_ My curiosity spurred me on as I made the connection in my head. "Was that the reason you chose to stay down here?"

"Yep. Life on the surface without emotions would have been pretty tricky, don't you agree?"

I nodded slowly as I considered the idea. "That would be really difficult," I affirmed. I only became more convinced as I continued to imagine it. How could you possibly connect with anyone else without emotions? How would you live?

"Between you and me, I hadn't really expected anything to change," he continued, his look turning more serious. "But after I'd languished down here for some time, something unexpected happened. I… started to discover emotions."

"It first started with my negative emotions," he recalled. "I began to experience fear. Anxiety. Sadness. Loneliness." He looked down. "Being stuck down here on my own with all those bad emotions... those were really difficult times."

His eyes were fixed on the ground. Despite his earlier high spirits, I could see his thoughts were causing him some pain. I understood how he felt. There are some memories you wish you could forget – memories so terrible that you end up trying to block them out. You shove them into a distant corner of your mind, hoping they'll disappear one day. But they never go away – not completely. That's what I saw in his gaze. There were many questions I wanted to ask but I let him continue.

"Little by little, I started to discover new emotions in small doses," he went on. "Happiness. Joy. Hope. Lov-" He stopped himself suddenly, almost choking on his words. He was silent for a moment before continuing. "But those were in short supply down here."

He looked back up at me. I saw him smile again. "It's good to have someone to play with. You've helped me a lot already – helped me to explore those good emotions," he said, full of gratitude. "What I'm trying to say is... you're great therapy!"

I laughed at this. "I'm glad to be of service!" I answered with an air of humility. "The pleasure is mine." Bizarre as the situation was, I felt honoured to be able to help him in this way.

"I appreciate it a whole bunch. And I hope you don't mind it if I come across a bit… unpredictable, sometimes?" Flowey said, blushing slightly. "This is something I'm still getting used to."

Though I was gradually learning more about him, my curiosity was not abated. I ventured one more question. "Your absence of emotions… how did that originate in you?" I asked him. "I still don't understand. What caused you to be that way?"

Flowey paused for a long while. I tried in vain to read his expression. I could only guess that he was debating whether to divulge this information to me – but I couldn't be sure of that. Eventually he turned to face me, looking me straight in the eye. He gave me a happy, contented smile. "I really enjoyed today. I hope you did too." Without saying another word, he burrowed back into the snow and disappeared.

 _So it'll remain a mystery for now_ , I told myself. _That's ok_. I was certain I'd be able to coax it out of him eventually, when he's ready. But he was absolutely right. It had been a great day – the most fun I'd had in a long time.

I took another look at the hilly peaks and pine trees. The constant running-around had kept me warm but I was starting to feel a chill creep up on me – not helped by my still-damp clothes. Were it not for the cold, I'd have liked to have stayed out there for longer. But I had no desire to catch a fever and felt a compulsion within me to keep moving. I got to my feet and surveyed the landscape for an indication of the way forward. A few seconds later, I heard a whistle ring out across the hills. Turning around, I saw my companion on the opposite bank, signalling to me that our path led that way. I trudged through the snow towards him, eager to get back on the move.


	6. Chapter 6 - Snowdin

We continued a little while longer, traversing the snowy hills. Flowey was leading the way again – he seemed to have a clear idea of where we were headed. Our path gradually inclined upwards as we found ourselves climbing up a tall mountain. As we had reached the top of the steep slope, we came to a small rope bridge that connected a pair of cliffs. The bridge was old and had seen much use in its time. I crossed slowly and with some trepidation.

Once we were over the bridge, we reached a quaint little town, nestled away in a deep, forest area. I was amazed when we stumbled across it. I hadn't been able to see any buildings or signs of civilization anywhere on our way here. The town had popped into view right in front of us once we had gotten close, though it'd been invisible from a distance. It must have blended into the snowy landscape. I was impressed that Flowey had known the correct way to take in what had seemed like an almost directionless wilderness. _Perhaps I hadn't given him enough credit for his pathfinding skills_ , I remember thinking. Or perhaps he was simply familiar with the route.

"We're here!" he announced to me as we arrived. There was a banner that ran along the pine trees dotting the entrance of the town. 'Welcome to Snowdin' it proclaimed in big letters.

 _Snowdin?_ I puzzled. A curious name for a curious place. And yet there was something oddly familiar about it. I struggled to trace the source of this thought – had I heard about this town from somewhere else before? I decided it wasn't worth thinking about too hard – I was eager to get some rest after today's journey.

The scene was tranquil, the town sheltered from the mountain breeze by the snow-covered trees. We walked along as I surveyed this desolate place. We passed a few wooden houses, coming to a stop next to a small, ornamental tree, decorated in a festive style with fairy lights and baubles. There was a deep impression left in the snow underneath the tree. I wondered if the monsters had left things under the tree – presents, perhaps? There was nothing there now. Looking up and further down the street, I saw a large wooden building with a small pot of flowers by the door. I felt a strange sense of gleeful kinship when I realised it to be some sort of bar or saloon. It occurred to me at that moment that our species' might not be so different at all.

I thought about the local bar from back home – a dangerous place to stray near, especially at night. There was something inherently more cosy-looking about this place, however, though it was clearly vacant. The building's windows were fogged up – a billboard that sat inside the window was illegible from the street. _The patrons must be on the surface now_ , I found myself thinking. _They've probably found somewhere else to frequent. But_ _I wonder if any of them ever feel an urge to come back here?_

The whole town had clearly been abandoned a long time ago when the monsters had all left. But there was an unblemished quality to the place, a peacefulness that was practically serene. It was as if the snow and frozen climate had preserved the town in its past state – a snapshot of a moment in time. Though we were the only ones there, I was struck by how fond I was of this place. I was almost convinced that, if I'd wanted to, I could happily stay here forever.

"This town, Snowdin... it's really nice," I remarked in affection.

Flowey looked over casually. "Eh, it's alright I guess?" I saw him grin in amusement. "So it doesn't remind you of your crappy old village at all, then?"

I smiled, shaking my head. He had me there. "There are some similarities," I confessed, my eyes wandering over to the bar and houses. "But plenty of differences too. We barely ever got snow back home, for instance. And we lived in the grasslands, nothing like this altitude."

It was true – Snowdin was quite high up in the mountains. As we had crossed the bridge outside the town, I'd looked down into the valley below us. Snowy woodland stretched out as far as the eye could see – a sea of green and white. It was a wonderful view that'd immediately reminded me of the view from the peak of Mt Ebott. I turned to Flowey. "When I ran away from home and climbed up Mt Ebott – before I ended up down here – I spent some time on the peak. Just a few hours," I started, the memories flowing out of me. "I don't suppose you'll know this, but it's… really beautiful up there."

I told him about my desire to experience an evening sky at the peak of Mt Ebott – just while I thought through my next move. It was still dark the morning I'd left home. I'd packed some supplies for the journey, along with some of Dad's old hiking equipment and his rickety old tent. The rain that'd fallen in the early morning had stopped by the time I reached the base of the mountain, allowing for a less arduous climb. Once I'd arrived at the top, I'd set up camp near the vast crater that led into the depths of the mountain. The rainclouds, now free of their burden, had completely subsided. The air was temperate and fresh from the rainfall, the sky perfectly clear. A dull autumn light filtered through, turning the sky a deep orange as the sun dipped on the horizon. As night crept in, I lay on my back gazing up at the stars. A perfect night sky – somewhere you could lose yourself if you willed it.

Flowey nodded contemplatively as he listened. "Sounds nice," he said quietly when I had finished. He was deep in thought. "Y'know, there's a place not far from here, a place I go to sometimes," he eventually said. "We should stop off there. I think you'll like it." He broke off from his thoughts. "Anyway, we should rest here for now. Don't know about you but I'm feeling pretty tired!

I nodded in agreement. The events of the day and calling back images of the night sky had left me feeling sleepy. I'd spotted an Inn near the entrance to Snowdin – that would probably be the best place to settle down and get some rest. I turned around expecting to see Flowey following me, but he hadn't moved from his spot next to the tree. "You're staying outside again?" I asked, uncertain. "Won't you get cold out here?"

He gave a small shrug. "I don't really feel it. Besides, you probably want to dry your clothes out," he said, looking me over. "You must be freezing!" He chuckled to himself. "I'll give ya a little privacy, just this once."

I reacted with some reluctance to his remark, but it was clear he was being serious. I decided that, for now, it would be best to honour his wishes. I bid him goodnight and slowly trudged back through the snow in the direction of the Inn.

* * *

Dear Diary,

How many people can say they've been in a snowball fight against a flower?

In all seriousness – today was a great day. A day I'm truly grateful for. But our time in the snowy hills seems to confirm what I've been struggling to believe: we really are alone down here. There's not a single person or monster in sight. I know it only makes logical sense but I still have difficulty accepting it. I can imagine the monsters that lived here, the denizens of Snowdin, going about their daily lives. I had this same feeling when we journeyed through the Ruins, but the eeriness of that place doesn't reach here.

This town, although long abandoned, is so hospitable in nature and peaceful. There are so many things I love about it: the views from the cliff edge, the sound of rushing water from the river, the smell of the pine trees. And the snow is so fresh – it's proven ideal for cleaning wounds. Though we'll need to move on soon, I almost wish I could stay here, perhaps even till I'm old and grey. As I sit here in bed writing this, I find myself struggling with a realisation I'd not expected: I feel at home here.

I'm grateful to Flowey for having gotten us here safely. But, on the whole, the Underground seems a lot less dangerous than I'd anticipated. I wonder if I was being overcautious. But it's a huge relief to me nonetheless. I feel like my nerves have gotten worse ever since that day – I suspect I may be more vulnerable than ever. If I were to have an attack down here... it might kill me.

My affinity for this place, and what I've seen of the Underground so far, still surprises me. Despite my interests in monsters and their culture, I don't know if it's normal for a human to want to live in a place once inhabited by monsters. Of course, _they'd_ have me believe it to be 'unnatural'. But if 'natural' means being like them, I'll happily defy them a little while longer.

How funny would it be if it turned out I was a monster in a past life? I feel that would explain a lot of things.

Despite this feeling that I somehow belong down here, my thoughts keep returning to the surface – to home. I've been thinking about Mom – I knew it would be difficult not to. I miss her dearly. The only one I could ever confide in, the only one who ever believed in me. I think of the weeks, the months after Dad left her – left us – and the strength she'd shown then. I wish I had an ounce of that strength right now. She's the only person, the only thing I miss from the surface world. And yet I left her – I left her with _them_. Because I believe in her strength, and I am too much of a coward to fight my own battles.

If I ever make it back to the surface, I can never see her again. It breaks my heart. But I have to let her go. I'm not strong enough. And there's no going back now.

I really hope she's ok. I still don't know if this was the right decision.


	7. Chapter 7 - The Library

I had another dream that night. Again, I struggle to call it a dream as it barely resembled one. Just as before, all was dark – a pitch-black sea of fragmented, disembodied voices. Most were indistinguishable, but one voice stuck out to me. The darkness flashed red for a split second as I felt a sharp pain stab at me through my ribs. The voices gradually faded out into nothingness. I could hear someone sobbing quietly.

I awoke suddenly. I was sweating and breathing rapidly. I peered around the room, looking for any signs of movement. The Inn room was dark with the corner light still switched off but my eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness. I was alone. I breathed a deep sigh.

I tried to lull myself back to sleep but it would not come. I sat up in bed, acutely aware of this peculiar mood I was experiencing. I didn't feel tired, nor did I feel particularly refreshed from my sleep. There was a dull, throbbing feeling in my head that was making me restless and irritable. I suddenly realised I had no idea how long I'd slept. Time was so difficult to judge down there, especially when you couldn't rely on your own senses.

This feeling was urging me to get to my feet – I couldn't abide the idea of staying in bed. I got up. I went to check if my clothes had dried – I'd left them hanging on the banister. To my amazement, they were already completely dry. It was warm at the Inn, surprisingly warm for a place so long abandoned, but I had no idea how my clothes had dried out so quickly. Perhaps I'd slept longer than I'd suspected.

 _I should check on Flowey,_ I thought. _He's probably wondering what happened to me_. I got changed into my refreshingly dry clothes and was about to leave when I paused, turning back. I'd left the leather satchel holding my hiking pole on the table top. I picked it off the table and held it in my hands for a while, removing the pole from the sheath and running my fingers gently over its razor-sharp point. _Do I really have any use for a weapon down here?_ I asked myself. I mulled over the idea of leaving it behind – what possible use could it serve if it's just the two of us down here? But something within me was urging me to keep it. I eventually decided against my initial idea, convinced that it would be a sensible precaution to hold on to it – at least until I was out of here. I placed the pole back inside the satchel and slung it over my shoulder, then briskly headed downstairs and out into the street.

The contrast between the warmth of the Inn and the cold from outside was striking. I felt myself shiver slightly after taking only a few steps through the deep snow that had settled on the ground. There was a stronger breeze blowing now as tiny snowflakes fell from the sky. A few landed on my nose – I quickly brushed off with my hand.

Flowey was nowhere to be seen. I suspected he'd gotten tired of waiting for me to get up and had gone off somewhere on his own. I considered waiting for him to get back but this restless feeling from earlier had persisted, commanding me to keep moving. I decided I would explore the town some more. It was only a small place but it already held a place in my heart – I wanted to see everything it had to offer. Plus, standing around in the freezing cold didn't make a lot of sense either.

I walked down the street, back towards the decorated tree we'd found. As I passed the bar I'd noticed earlier, I spotted another building a little further down the road. I could just about make out the word on the sign above the door. Once I'd gotten around the glaring spelling error, I read the correct word aloud to myself. My eyes lit up. I picked up pace immediately, dashing through the falling snow to this well-kept, communal-looking building. I ground to a halt at the front door and pushed against it gently.

The door was unlocked, slowly opening with a rusty creaking noise. I was thrilled to discover that this place was exactly what I'd hoped for. It was a library. Though it was only a small building, the entire rear wall was lined with bookshelves stacked with books. The air was utterly still, a musty smell of old books pervading the room. This place hadn't been disturbed by anyone for a very long time.

I was delighted to have discovered this place. For years, I'd hoarded whatever texts I could get my hands on, anything concerning monsters and their history. And now here I was, in a place with a wealth of knowledge at my fingertips!

I didn't waste any time. I rifled through the bookshelves, picking out volumes, pamphlets, whatever I could find. I stumbled back to the desk with a tower of reading material in my arms. Sitting down, I placed them carefully on the table in front of me. Once I was sitting, I suddenly noticed the faint sound of rushing water from outside – a nearby stream perhaps? It was a notable sound – every other stream or lake we'd encountered up until then had frozen over in ice. _Looks like we'll be out of the cold soon enough_ , I thought to myself as I returned to the pile of books.

I set about working my way through my collection. I would pluck a single book from the pile, one at a time, and read through it from cover-to-cover. I would leaf through the pages at a quick pace, eager to absorb as much information as possible – but I was utterly engrossed in the task. I read about the Great War between humans and monsters, their defeat and banishment, and how they'd eventually formed a colony deep underground. One book described their customs and beliefs. Another book spoke of their desire to return to the surface one day – with some vague references to a royal edict that had been set in motion, though I could find no more details on this. One book even detailed their anatomy and the nature of their souls – and some harrowing comparisons to the souls of humans.

I felt like my mind had been opened, forced to contemplate possibilities I'd never even considered before. But, somehow, it made perfect sense to me. Ever since I was little, I'd believed in the human soul as a tangible entity, something that resided in all of us. It gave me a sense of kinship to know that monsters shared the same belief. _Of course we all have souls_ , I thought to myself with a smile. _How could it be otherwise?_

Confusingly, many of the library's books contained used crossword sheets that were jammed in-between the pages. I had to constantly take them out and set them to one side.

I don't know how long I spent in that place, but I was dead-set on my goal of going through the entire heap of books I'd amassed. Eventually, as I was getting towards the bottom of the pile, I pulled out a thick, heavy binder – something that had caught my eye amongst the other books. It appeared to be a science journal. The author listed on the cover was 'Alphys, Royal Scientist to King A. Dreemurr'. I was immediately intrigued. I flicked through the journal. The text was very heavy in places and I struggled to make sense of everything. It seemed to cover a wide variety of scientific research topics. Geothermal energy, robotics, jet propulsion… I marvelled at the advanced technology that was detailed within these pages. Had monsters really developed this kind of technology whilst trapped underground?

I came across a long piece further on in the journal – it was structured in the same manner as an essay. I had to read the title to myself a few times while blinking. 'Anime and the Scientific Method'. Out of curiosity, I flicked to the end to see how this 'essay' had been researched. There was a single entry under the list of references that simply said 'The Internet'.

I was completely baffled by this journal and its author. It was such an unusual specimen, halfway between a professional, heavy-duty document and a personal project that they'd wanted to share with the world. Nevertheless, it had certainly caught my attention. As much of the hard science had eluded me on my first read, I decided to reread the whole journal one more time.

As I was reading through again, a single word caught my eye in one of the articles. 'Determination'. The word seemed to jump off the page at me. I couldn't discern its meaning, nor could I grasp the context in which it was being used. Seeking an answer, I flicked through to the glossary where I was able to find a heavily redacted definition.

'Determination – substance with unknown properties. Tests to be scheduled, date TBD. Synthetic prototypes to be manufactured from a small pool of natural samples. Natural strains known to occur in–'

My heart sank – I couldn't believe it. The page had been torn from the corner, leaving a chunk of the glossary missing. The definition was incomplete – not that I had learned much from its vague description. All I had learned about 'determination' was that it was a mysterious substance, and that the author had tasked themselves with creating a synthetic version – perhaps for the purpose of eventual mass production. But what was so special about 'determination'? And what about the 'natural strains' the journal had mentioned?

A sharp curiosity had awoken in me. This word was important, I was certain of it. I _had_ to know what it meant! I frantically poured over the pages, looking for any detail that might give me a clue about 'determination'. But my search ended in disappointment – there was nothing. Defeated, I put the journal aside and picked up another book from the pile.

I was half-way through this new book when I suddenly picked up a muffled, distressed noise coming from outside. I placed the book on the desk in front of me and listened closely.

After a few moments, Flowey sprung up in the middle of the room. He looked panic-stricken and out of breath. Wet snow was dripping off of him, forming a small puddle on the wooden floor.

"There you are!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing in here?"

I smiled, glad to see him again. "Hi Flowey," I greeted him cheerfully. "I stumbled across this place after I woke up, so I thought I'd get some reading done!" I gestured to the book on the table in front of me and the pile by my side.

He seemed shocked. "You were... reading?" he gasped in disbelief.

I opened the book to the page I left off. "It's about the monsters who used to live here," I explained. "It details the generations of..."

A look of irritation crossed his face. "Why do you want to know about them?" he interrupted. "They've been gone for years."

"Well, yes, it has been years…" I conceded, a long time by anyone's measure. "But I'm still interested in what they went through when they were down here. Don't you ever wonder why…"

"I don't give a damn about them!" he said scornfully. "They got exactly what they wanted when they left this place."

I was taken aback by his tone. I was about to utter something in response but he quickly cut me off. "I can't believe you got me all worked up over a stupid book!" he exclaimed, clearly agitated. "You think it's fine to just disappear on me like that?!"

I hadn't seen him like this before. I couldn't understand why he was so angry at me, but it put me on edge – as if danger might be close by. Thankfully, his anger appeared to be quickly passing – he seemed more relieved than anything. He turned back towards the door, still ruffled from his outburst, getting ready to leave. My mind was still swimming with images from the books I'd been reading.

I called him back. "Flowey, are we safe here?" I asked apprehensively.

He turned around. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"The way you came in just now. You were in a panic, and I could hear noises outside," I told him. "I was worried that something might be coming to get us."

He looked at me, not quite understanding. "You know it's just us down here, right?"

"What about wildlife? Mightn't there be some dangerous lurking out there, in the woods?" I said. "Like a giant yeti, or a pack of wolves?"

He stared at me in bewilderment. "You have a pretty active imagination," he remarked, dumb-founded. "I was only looking for ya." He zipped up to the window ledge and peered outside, looking off into the distance at the distant hills and snow-capped forests. "What was I supposed to think? You just wandered off and..." He stopped himself, dismissing the thought with a shake of his head. "Forget it. Just head outside when you're done," he muttered quietly. "I'll be waiting." He slinked off without saying another word.

Getting up, I could see outside the glass window. The snow was falling heavier now, as if a blizzard was rolling in. _I can't leave him waiting outside in that_ , I told myself. Only then did the thought cross my mind: perhaps he thought I'd gotten lost in the woods and was freezing to death. I hadn't anticipated that he would lose sight of me, but I started to feel a little bit bad for wandering off without telling him.

My eyes returned to the pile of books and the bookshelves with some disappointment. Given time, I had no doubt I could have spent a lot longer here. _Maybe I've overindulged today_ , I began to realise. _This journey,_ _ **our**_ _journey. It's not just about me wanting to go home. It means something to him too – I'm sure of it_.

I took one last look at the library. I felt a sadness that we needed to leave Snowdin – I dearly hoped that I would be able to return someday. A reassuring voice in my mind told me that I would get my chance to go back – someway, somehow.


	8. Chapter 8 - Betrayal

We both left Snowdin town immediately as the blizzard continued to roll in. The path leading out of town was lined with pine trees, their branches swaying in the wind that was picking up. The sound of the water was louder here. Once we passed the last of the pine trees, I finally saw the river – it had been running alongside the path behind the trees. We were heading downstream, the freezing water rushed alongside us. It was as if it was trying to join us on the rest of our journey – eager to flow up to the Surface along with us.

Our path led into a network of caves. Here, the sound of rushing water was all around us. It was strange to be out of the snow. The caves seemed to glisten – the precious stones lodged in the cave walls gleamed brightly as they reflected the light. We passed by a tall, blue flower – I thought it was a very pretty flower.

I noticed Flowey was being strangely quiet – completely unlike his usual, chatty self. He hadn't said a single word since we'd departed from Snowdin. I started to wonder if he was still in a bad mood about having lost sight of me earlier. I felt I should try to smooth things over with him.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings," I uttered in apology.

He stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around. He was silent for a moment. I heard a voice sound out from behind us. "…if I hurt your feelings…" it echoed. I spun around, fully expecting to see someone there. But there was no-one – we were alone.

"I've got something to show you," I heard Flowey say slowly. I turned to him, but he was still facing away from me. "This way." His words were deliberate and utterly cold – colder than the blizzard we'd just escaped from. A feeling of dread hung over me. Something was wrong with the way he was acting, but I couldn't tell what.

We came across a large waterfall that ran across our path. Thankfully the water was shallow and we were able to cross without difficulty. On the other side of the waterfall, there was a grassy area draped in shadow. I trembled slightly as I wandered through the tall grass. The darkness of this place was a stark contrast to anywhere else we'd visited up to now. The blades of grass were casting long shadows against my skin.

Beyond the grassy area, we reached a small stream of murky blue water. The water here was much deeper than earlier. A cluster of plants resembling lily pads floated on top of the water, forming a path across the flowing stream. I was about to step out on to the pads when they suddenly retracted, disappearing beneath the water's surface all at once. I stumbled but managed to steady myself, narrowly avoiding falling in.

I stood there, perplexed. There was no way to cross. I turned back towards Flowey. He was some distance behind me, lurking in the shadowy area. He looked past me at the water. "Hmm, how strange. That doesn't usually happen," he remarked, smiling at me. "Looks like we're stuck here for now."

There was an uncomfortable pause. Flowey didn't move from the shadows. Neither of us seemed to know what to say to one another. I tentatively looked around the room, and then back at the pool behind me. The water was being fed in from a spring deeper in the caves, cascading off the edge of the path in a waterfall. It would be too dangerous to cross by wading through. As he'd said, we were completely stuck. I started to wonder how big this place was, where the water was coming from and where it was flowing to. _What purpose could a place like this have served to the monster that'd once lived here?_ I pondered.

I was brought to my senses when Flowey abruptly spoke up. "So, remind me," he asked, "Am I really the first monster you've ever met?"

I nodded in reply. This seemed to please him. "Well, I hope you know it's been a real honour," he declared proudly, though I was unable to gauge his sincerity. "But you should know that I'm not all I seem."

This struck me as a strangely vague statement for him to make. "What do you mean?" I questioned.

"Let's just say I'm not exactly... representative... of your typical monster," he said as he flashed an unsettling grin at me. "Actually, I'm much worse."

I still didn't understand what he was trying to say. Was he being cryptic on purpose?

"There's something very important. Something they all have, but I lack," he continued, struggling to elaborate. "Here – I'll show you."

The world seemed to flicker for a split second, as if I'd consciously blinked. Something had changed – but I couldn't put my finger on what it could be. "You were asking why I couldn't feel anything – about what makes me who I am," Flowey started. "Well, how about we start with you?" With a swift motion of his head, he signalled for me to look down at myself.

I looked down and gasped. My body was semi-transparent, as if I had taken on the form of a ghost. I saw a pink heart-shaped object nestled in the middle of my chest. It gave off a small, soft glow. I tried to reach towards it but was stopped as I felt my fingertips push against my ribs. I'd retained my physical presence, it seemed.

"Surprised?" he said with a friendly smile. "That's your soul, the very culmination of your being!"

I kept looking at it. Obviously I had never seen a soul before, and couldn't know what one would normally look like. And yet I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was something seriously wrong. My soul glowed with a warm pink-tinged light, but the colour was extremely pale – even sickly-looking. It almost looked like it was discoloured, somehow, or stained. It seemed… unnatural, somehow. _Is it supposed to be a different colour?_ I found myself wondering, though I struggled to understand where these thoughts were originating from. In any case, I couldn't take my eyes off of it – my stained soul.

I heard Flowey clear his throat loudly, prompting me to look up. "Now, take a look at me," he instructed. "What do you see?"

He was still hanging back in the shadows but I could make him out well enough. I saw a cheery-looking, golden flower with a vacant smile – no longer such an unusual sight to my eyes. But something was clearly missing, as he'd suggested. Something important.

"That can't be possible," I insisted, shaking my head with a sudden uncertainty. "Everyone has a soul, surely!"

He gave an icy chuckle. "Pal, come on. Do you think something with a soul could ever do this?"

With a horrible sound, I watched in horror as he turned himself inside-out. He arched backwards, shaking violently before folding outwards from the mouth. The twisted mass of inside-out plant matter fell to the ground in a heap. A slimy black liquid seeped out of the gaping space where his mouth used to be, spreading out across the floor. It was a horrific spectacle – a vision of hell. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was over. Flowey was there in front of me again, still wearing his vacant smile, as if nothing had ever happened.

"Y'see? I'm completely empty," he said cheerily. "Not a single thing in there."

I shook my head, trying to rid myself of those images. I felt I should be struggling to accept this revelation, but his vile demonstration just now had convinced me of the truth of what he'd said.

"As for your soul… my, how strong it is!" he declared in admiration. "It's been a long time since anyone with a powerful soul last came down here. Lucky old me!" He paused, collecting himself. "Now..."

"Hand. It. Over."

Everything went dark. The shadows in the room had intensified suddenly and unexpectedly, shrouding us both in a sphere of darkness. I couldn't see Flowey anymore.

"Flowey, what are you doing?!" I called out into the dark. I could see something moving in the shadows – something monstrous. I gulped. Were my eyes playing tricks on me?

I heard a wild, maniacal laugh echo out from the shadows. Swallowing hard, I felt a chill run up my spine. I suddenly wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. As I paced backwards, I felt my foot inch out over the ledge behind me. I pulled myself back from the edge quickly. I still had my back to the water. There was nowhere to run.

At that moment, Flowey partially emerged from the shadows. His petals were twisted and ragged, a forked tongue hanging loosely from a mouth lined with razor-sharp teeth. I saw the whites of his eyes – two fierce, steely pupils, boring into me like a pair of bullets. It was only after witnessing this sight that I fully realised the danger I was in. But it was already too late.

A circle of glowing white bullets materialised, spinning rapidly around him. With another dreadful laugh, he dispelled them all at once. They shot outwards and closed in around me, encircling me like a pack of predatory beasts closing in for the kill. I was trapped.

My eyes were fixed on Flowey and the pellet-like bullets surrounding me. He was still laughing. I felt a terrible fear rise up in me. _This was what they had warned me about_ , I suddenly realised. _And I didn't listen to them._ I shuddered as I felt a cold sweat creeping in.

The bullets continued to circle around me. Trying to focus on them and Flowey at the same time made my head spin. But I knew they were closing in, little-by-little, ever so slowly. I could feel myself getting weaker as they drew closer. _They're about to strike at the core of my being – my soul,_ I realised in my panic. _Impending doom_.

My strength deserted me – I fell to my knees, unable to stand. I curled up as I felt the bullets whooshing past me overhead. They were so close now. I shut my eyes tight in terror, wishing for it to be over.

I felt something from within me push back. A power that had abruptly and unexpectedly activated. Upon opening my eyes, the room seemed to have brightened. The bullets were positioned further away from me, circling in place. I looked down at my chest. My soul was coursing with a wild energy, pulsating with unbridled power. It gave off a flaring light that illuminated the darkness around me. I instantly felt a renewed strength – a desire to fight back.

As I slowly got to my feet, I felt my soul as it pulsed several times, sending out shockwaves of pinkish energy. The shockwaves pushed out against the cage of bullets and forced them back. I could still sense my fear but only in the background, as if it was being suppressed somehow. Like a shot of adrenaline, my senses had sharpened and my fear was no longer a hindrance to me. I stood up fully, the bullets nothing more than a harmless distraction. Somehow, I was in full control of the situation. In automatic reflex, I reached behind me for my weapon, my hand closing around the handle of the hiking pole. I fixed the creature in front of me with a determined gaze.

Flowey suddenly seemed uneasy, as if he'd woken up a wild beast that he'd wanted to avoid angering. His features reverted back to those I recognised. The bullets disappeared in an instant as the shadows slowly began to dissipate. "Woah, take it easy!" he urged, motioning at me with his leaves to calm down. "I was just kidding! I don't do that kind of thing anymore." The light had returned to the caves once more.

I looked at him blankly for a moment, uncomprehending, and then down at my chest. The pink soul was no longer there. I felt my power gradually recede as my fear began to resurface. But I felt more than just fear. I was angry beyond words – I'd seldom felt such anger before. I felt myself trembling uncontrollably with a mix of fear and indignant rage.

"Uh, are you ok?" Flowey approached, a hint of concern in his voice. "You're shaking and I don't–"

"Flowey!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, startling him. "What the hell was that about?!" I was breathing heavily, my heart pounding out of my chest.

He took a moment to recover from my outburst. "Hey, come on, it was only a joke," he answered dismissively. "You shouldn't be so serious all the time."

"You call that a joke?!" I went on, disgusted at how I'd been tricked. "You've got a sick sense of humour!"

"You're being a scaredy-cat," Flowey sighed. "Take a deep breath. It's over, ok?" He paused, allowing me to catch my breath. I told myself I needed to calm down and did as he said. I felt my anger fade slowly.

Flowey looked off to one side. "Honestly, I can't believe how jumpy you're getting over one little prank," he remarked disparagingly. "You're acting like it's the end of the world or something."

"Don't you understand?" I went on, unable to keep the disappointment out of my voice. "You… you scared me."

"Well, you can consider it payback for your disappearing act earlier," he said flatly, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice.

"What?" I gasped. I could barely believe what I was hearing.

"Do you know what was going through my head when you wandered off?" he argued back, seemingly flustered. "You scared me half to death!"

I stopped myself. _I scared him?_ I felt a sudden guilt gnawing at me. I'd lived with fear for a lot of my life – real fear. I knew it better than some people, but I didn't wish it on anyone – especially not on someone I'd trusted so closely. "I apologised for that, didn't I?" I maintained. "Couldn't you accept my apology?"

"I don't need your apologies", he snapped defensively. "I do things my way. Get used to it."

"But… I thought you were really going to hurt me!" I cried.

"Good!" he yelled back at me. "That was the idea!" He was glaring straight at me – a burning anger in his eyes.

I couldn't stand it. I averted his furious gaze as I sensed tears starting to well up. I held my hand up to my face, blinking rapidly to force them back before Flowey noticed. I felt a need to avoid showing any sign of weakness, but it was impossible to supress my dismay. I felt betrayed. Why had he turned on me so viciously, after such a prolonged façade of friendliness? And what would I do now? I couldn't possibly trust him to help me any further.

I could see him out of the corner of my eye, holding his gaze on me. I took another deep breath and told myself to face him down. I expected another angry outburst, or something worse. As I turned, however, I was shocked by what I saw. He was studying my expressions closely – reading me like the pages of a book. I could tell he'd realised how much he'd hurt me – he could see the pain in my eyes. His own expression softened, his anger giving way to an expression of deep melancholy. He looked completely ashamed of himself.

"I'm… sorry," he muttered slowly in a guilt-ridden voice. "I went too far, didn't I?" His gaze fell to the ground, his petals drooping. I looked down at him, dumbstruck. It seemed impossible to believe that this pitiable creature had threatened my life just moments ago. I was almost convinced he was operating under dual personalities, so sudden were his shifts in mood.

Flowey stayed that way some time before looking up at me. "I just wanted to spook you a little bit," he said, still lamenting his behaviour. "I don't want you to think that I mean you ill."

I stared back at him in disbelief. "You mean… you don't want to hurt me?" I asked of him.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed, startled by my suggestion. It was as if I'd said something unthinkable. "Friends... they don't hurt each other, no matter what. Right?"

 _How odd_ , I considered. _After all of his bluster and fury, does he really still see me as a friend? After all of that?_ I weighed the possibility that this might be some act of trickery – another attempt to lull me into a false sense of security. But one look at him seemed to defy that conclusion. There was a profound sense of regretful sorrow in his gaze that was almost palpable.

I swallowed my pride. "Then I'll give you another chance to prove it," I said sternly. "But don't try and trick me like that again. I'm not your plaything."

He looked away. He started to give a small, half-hearted nod but seemed to hesitate, stopping himself short. This strange noncommittal gesture made me uneasy, and there was something about his reticence that I found deeply annoying. Why was he so unwilling to honour to my request? If he was serious about not wanting to hurt me, why couldn't he just agree to stop scaring me within an inch of my life? Was that too much to ask?

He looked up at me with an earnest expression. "Will you come with me? There's something I want to show you," he broke off. "For real, this time."

With a sigh, I reluctantly decided to adhere to his request. I would put aside my frustration for now. He dipped down into the ground, reappearing on the other side of the stream of water that had blocked our path. After a few seconds, I saw the plants from earlier rise up to the water's surface – though this came as no surprise to me. I'd already suspected he had been behind their disappearance. I hastily stepped across the lily pad-like plants, half-expecting them to give way under my feet. To my relief, they bore my weight with ease. Once I was across, we started off down the winding path through the caves.

Maybe he really had just wanted to frighten me, I told myself – or shake me up a little with a cheap scare, for his own amusement or otherwise. But he had no idea what he was risking – what danger he puts me in when he plays with my nerves. One bad attack down here could be all it takes for me to be stuck down here forever – to never see the surface again. I felt a lump in my throat as I contemplated this.

At the same time, however, I told myself I couldn't afford to be so sensitive. If his impulses are really something he struggles to control, I need to learn to deal with them. I can't let myself be terrified into submission by this creature, or he might end up doing something unintended – something he might regret.

Perhaps it would be possible to draw on that inner power I had felt – that force which had controlled my fears and protected me from Flowey's attack. But I still had no understanding of this power or how I might control it.

I came to an abrupt realisation. If I were to survive down here, I would need to change too.

Flowey stopped and turned around, as if he'd suddenly remembered something. "Oh, and uh..." he started, "this place… it's called Waterfall."

 _More ridiculous names_ , I thought to myself privately. _Perhaps I'll make a game of guessing the name of the next place we encounter. Anything to keep my befuddled mind occupied…._


	9. Chapter 9 - Their Dream

It turns out the place he wanted to show me was only a little further on. We crossed another long stream of flowing water with the help of the cavernous lilypad plants. I let him lead the way, keeping a close eye on him all the while. I needed to be cautious in case he was planning on springing another trap on me. To my dismay, I no longer knew if I could trust him.

Flowey led me through to a connected chamber. This room seemed to wrap around to create a long passageway. I saw some more of the tall blue flowers from earlier. They stood off to the side of the path, their tall heads tilted towards us as if they expected me to approach each of them individually for a chat. _What friendly-looking flowers!_ I thought to myself, giving a small laugh as I examined the silky petals of one of them. I was more than a bit shocked when it laughed back.

There was a plaque on the wall where we'd entered, along with a dusty old telescope nestled on a tripod further down the hall. I read out the words written on the stone plaque quietly to myself: "Wishing Room".

Flowey turned to face me, giving a brief nod. "I come to this place every so often – just to remind myself of a few things," he said. He tilted his head back as he directed his gaze to the ceiling. "And I thought you might like it too."

I followed his gaze upward and gasped. The roof of the cave was so high up above us – it seemed to stretch off into an almost imperceptible distance. The scene imprinted on the ceiling resembled a starry night sky – it was pitch black and dotted with sparkling gemstones. These stones gleamed in the light, forming constellations of their own against the endless darkness.

It immediately reminded me of the view I had beheld on the top of Mt Ebott. It was a breath-taking sight. _Had the monsters created this?_ I thought to myself. It was truly beautiful, but there was something sad about it too. This whole room was a monument to their plight – a poignant reminder of their struggles, their wish to see the sky once more. I felt a deep connection with this place: this wishing room of monsterkind. The walls resonated with their memories – their wishes laid bare on the ceiling for all to see.

"It's true, y'know. I wasn't lying to you earlier," I heard Flowey say to me, his words pulling me back down to Earth. "I don't have a soul. I understand if it's a little difficult to believe."

On the contrary, it wasn't difficult for me to believe his claim anymore. His twisted spectacle had been a very convincing one. That he was a peculiarly dangerous individual was now beyond my doubt.

He seemed to acknowledge this in the way he looked at me, lowering his gaze slightly. "I used to be a nasty piece of work. I had some horrible ideas about the world," he deliberated, as if he were recounting memories he'd have preferred to have abandoned. "Kill or be killed – that was my motto."

 _Kill or be killed?"_ I echoed, shuddering slightly. _What kind of motto is that?_

"When you feel nothing, all life seems trivial," Flowey explained, reading my thoughts. He paused to reconsider his words. "Inconsequential, even. I had no respect for anyone or anything."

I tried my best to grasp what was telling me. "Is that why you said you needed to stay away from the surface?" I pondered aloud.

He looked me in the eye. "When they all went free, I knew I had to stay here. I told myself I couldn't be a part of their dream – even if I shared it with them. That I would screw everything up if I even tried," he recounted. "I mean, I wouldn't even have batted an eyelid if they'd dropped dead all at once. Can you imagine living with something that thinks like _that_?"

His suggestion was disturbing but I couldn't fault the logic in his decision. "Are you saying you were planning to stay down here… forever?" I ventured.

He nodded slowly, a look of despondency in his eyes. "I guess I wasn't telling you the whole truth earlier, huh?" He paused. "I thought redemption was beyond me. That the best thing for me would be to disappear forever. That… was before the changes started." He paused, weighing his words carefully. "I still don't know what's causing them. It doesn't even seem like it should be possible." He gave a small smile tinged with grief. "I like to tell myself it's happening because it's what I want… more than anything."

I felt my heart lurch at his words. I bit my lip. I'd had no idea – no idea at all about what this had meant to him. I felt like a complete fool for not grasping it earlier. This had never been solely about his emotions – he was seeking redemption.

He went on, though his smile belied a sense of futility. "Ever since I started to experience these feelings, I've gone on telling myself that I might not be without hope. That I might be able to get out of here someday." He gave a sad little shrug of hopelessness. "But even after all this time, I can't trust myself to do the right thing." He looked away, a gloomy expression returning to his face. "That's really bad, isn't it?"

I looked up once more, gazing at the lifelike stars that dotted the ceiling. I was finally starting to understand. He still had his dream of reaching the surface – he was clinging to it with everything he had. But he had no idea if he would ever achieve it. Worse, he didn't _trust_ himself to achieve it. _That must be an awful feeling_ , I considered.

I found myself wondering what it was that'd landed him in this situation. This core detail continued to elude me. Were his past actions really beyond any kind of atonement? I was continuing down this line of thought when, before I knew it, my scrambled mind had converted that thought to action. "What started all this?" I blurted out, unthinking. "What did you do?"

He stopped dead. "You don't want to know that," he said flatly, a hard edge to his voice. It was said with his same coldness from earlier, completely devoid of emotion. He softened his tone when he spoke again, seemingly sympathetic to my curiousity. "I'm sorry, pal. It's not my wish to keep secrets from you…"

I gave a hasty waving motion, indicating that there was no need for him to apologise. _What am I thinking?_ I cursed myself. It was a careless question. He'd shown respect for my secrets – secrets he must have known I was keeping from him. The least I could do was respect what he would rather keep from me. We were both quiet for some time.

"In any case, I apologise for earlier," he eventually said. "I shouldn't have played that trick on you. Sometimes I just can't help myself, y'know?"

"Flowey," I finally spoke up, a lump in my throat, "you don't need to resign yourself to this fate."

He looked away from me – he seemed deeply uncertain. "I want to change – I really do," he declared in earnest. "But I fear I might still have a long way to go before I can leave this place. Assuming I have a chance at all…." He left this statement hanging like an unfinished verse – a page torn from the corner. His words betrayed a grim acceptance of his situation. He'd said what he'd wanted to say – confiding in someone after so much time spent alone. And now he would say no more on the subject.

But I wasn't going to let it end this way. I didn't want it to end this way. A part of me rebelled against this injustice, as I saw it. I opened my mouth to speak. "Listen," I started, unsure where I was heading. "I promise that, whatever happens, we'll go to the surface together one day. You have my word."

I spoke these words in complete solemnity, yet I had no idea why I was saying them. Why make a promise about something I couldn't guarantee? I knew so little about what it would involve or even, by Flowey's own admission, if it was even possible. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to say it. I hated the idea of him going back to languishing down here forever once I was gone. And I knew that it was more than a token gesture of comfort – I'd meant every word I said.

He looked up at me. His gaze was powerful and forlorn in appearance. But I saw something else in his expression – hope? We looked at each other, each of us seemingly locked in our individual, distanced, trance-like states. It was as if something had suddenly materialised between us – some intangible window, abstract in both design and purpose. And somehow, as I looked at him through this window, I felt as if I were looking at someone else.

He suddenly glanced away, shaking his head briskly as if to clear something from his eyes. "Heh, ok," he mumbled quietly. "Whatever."

We both stayed silent for a long time. I continued to survey the ceiling, my eyes tracing the patterns formed by the radiant stars. I felt I would lose myself in this place were I not careful. Flowey was the first to come to his senses. "We should get moving," he declared. "We've still got a way to go." There was a lightness in his voice now – an energy that had been conspicuously absent for what already felt like a strangely long time.

"We're going to have to improvise a little," he said aloud as he considered the path we should take. "The bridge has been out for a long time. It's never given me any trouble but for you… we'll need to find another route." He paused, scratching his chin with his leaf as he tried to come up with a plan. "I suggest we head through the garbage dump," he concluded. "Not very glamorous, I know, but it's the only way. I think I know a good place where you'll be able to climb down there safely. From there, it's a straight shot to–"

I froze. Everything around me faded out in an instant. The caves were gone, replaced with an empty void of blackness. The few sounds I could hear were muffled and indistinct.

I saw Flowey. He was burning alive. One of his petals had already caught alight. An orange flame was rapidly crawling up his stem, quickly igniting his leaves and petals. He flailed around wildly, yelling in desperation as he attempted to extinguish himself. But the flames continued to climb higher and higher...

The vision ended suddenly. I was back in the wishing room. My heart was beating with a frenzied rhythm as I gasped for breath. _What was that?_ I thought, my mind racing. _Is this some sort of premonition?_

Flowey had just finished rattling off his action plan for our journey. He turned around, his satisfied expression faltering as soon as he saw me. "Uh, are you feeling ok?" he asked, concerned. "You're as white as a sheet."

I nodded unsteadily. Whatever that vision was, I decided that I couldn't tell him. I wouldn't want to worry him with the distorted images that my befuddled mind was throwing up. At this point, I strongly suspected we were both accustomed to keeping secrets.


	10. Chapter 10 - Unexpected Visitors

We walked on together through the aqueous caverns of Waterfall. I did everything I could to put that earlier vision, whatever it was, out of my mind.

Flowey was more animated and lively after our time in the Wishing Room. His good spirits seemed to have returned – perhaps he felt he'd been able to speak his mind freely, for once. It was as if we'd cleared the air between us and were able to see each other in a different light.

Beyond the Wishing Room, we passed a series of ancient murals etched onto the walls. They appeared to detail the war between humans and monsters. To my surprise, however, I felt no compulsion to stop and read them. I walked on, affording them only a passing glance. I found I was perfectly content to explore with Flowey by my side – enjoying the beauty of the caves without needing to labour over the details. After everything that had happened, I now felt I was beginning to understand both him and this underground world I found myself in a lot better. But most of all, I felt an urgent need for us to press on towards our destination. _I'll never get home if I stop and stare at every little feature of this place_ , I insisted. I was simply grateful for what I'd already learned.

Nevertheless, the presence of those murals acted as a reminder to me of the old inhabitants of the caves. I began to think of them as we crossed a long pier. My footsteps caused the old planks of timber to creak. "When you get to the surface, you'll need to find somewhere to live," I considered carefully, addressing Flowey. "Would you ever consider living with any of the people you knew down here?"

"Of course not! I want nothing to do with them!" Flowey refuted fiercely. "They've been enjoying the high life for years, not that I ever had anythin' in common with them anyways."

"So what would you do?" I asked curiously. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it."

He paused for a few moments as he pondered the question. _Perhaps he actually hasn't given thought to this_ , I suddenly considered. After some deliberation, he gave his answer with a small shrug of his leaves. "I guess I'd wind up living with humans… probably." He stopped for a moment, as if wanting to reconsider. "That's not out of choice, mind you," he added hastily, looking away. "No offence."

I thought about his answer. "I understand why you feel the way you do about monsters," I began, "but I'm sure they'd happily welcome you back, if you wanted that."

Flowey stopped and turned to me. He was laughing, as if I'd said something funny. "What's your deal with getting me to warm up to monsters?" he asked, slightly puzzled. It was a question asked in good humour – though I could detect a small hint of exasperation in the way he spoke. "You keep doing this."

I had a moment of self-consciousness. He was right – I _had_ put this imagined scenario to him a number of times. I suspected it was a mixture of my own bias and my desire to see him reunited with his own kind. _Perhaps I'm imposing too much_ , I considered. _I shouldn't ram this issue down his throat_.

He fixed me with a sceptical gaze. "I'll bet you were lying earlier when you said you didn't know any monsters. There's someone you're tryin' to hook me up with, isn't there?" he retorted playfully, eyes narrowed. "Sly devil."

"Nothing of the sort!" I laughed. "But I'm sure we could find someone for you, if that's of interest to you?"

He flushed red, startled by my suggestion. "A nice lady flower, perhaps?" I teased.

He rolled his eyes, giving a deep sigh. "You really are insufferable sometimes."

We chattered the time away as we wandered through the caves. We were both perfectly at ease – the sound of the water had a calming effect on us. Having crossed the pier, we eventually reached a wide, open room split into a series of twisting canals. The water here shimmered a clear blue, glistening like gemstones and illuminating the caves around us. Tall reeds poked out of water, basking in its luminous glow.

It was here, after following the maze-like path through the canals, that Flowey announced that we would take a diversion. He pointed at a distant bank, inaccessible from where we stood, before raising a path for me across the water with the vines under his control. I quickly scrambled over them, starting down the hidden side path. This area was littered with bizarre-looking overgrowth and fungi, the soil damp from water that'd spilled onto the path from the rivers. We passed through a field of the same blue flowers we'd seen earlier. They turned their heads to us, as if we were encroaching on a private space of theirs.

After some time following this hidden path, we came to a stop by a ledge – the end of the line. A giant waterfall raged nearby, shooting off jets of spray as the water crashed against the rocks. This water then drifted down to form a second waterfall, cascading off the edge of the cliff where we stood.

"This is the place!" Flowey called to me above the sound of crashing water. "You're going to need to climb down here. It's pretty steep though – watch your step!"

I peered over the edge and felt my stomach sink. It was a sheer cliff with a steep drop – I could barely even see the bottom of the waterfall from this distance. Looking down at the wall of the cliff, I saw that the rocks jutted out frequently to form footholds and miniature paths. It looked like it might be possible to scale the cliff as Flowey suggested, but it was far more dangerous than he had let on. Was there no safer path for us to take?

I took a moment to steady my nerves. I told myself I'd need to be brave if I was to ever see the surface again. Taking a deep breath, I knelt down and gradually lowered myself over the edge.

It proved to be a dangerous descent. I clambered down the cliff ever so slowly, moving from one outcrop to the next. The rocks were slippery from the spray of the waterfall and I almost lost my footing a couple of times. The waterfall poured down alongside us in a single, unbroken stream. It goaded us, daring us to race it to the bottom. I tried to pay it no attention.

Flowey would periodically pop up at spots along the way, offering me guidance on where to place my feet and words of encouragement as I descended. I realised that this was the true test of my trust for him. It would be so easy for him to push me off the ledge, or steer me towards a crumbling foothold. I tried not to think about what it would be like to fall from this height. _I lucked out last time,_ I told myself. _If it happens again, I won't be getting up_.

After what felt like an eternity of climbing, we reached the bottom of the cliff. I gently stepped down onto the stone floor, exhausted from the treacherous climb. I allowed myself a few moments to recuperate before surveying our surroundings. We were in some sort of subterranean sewer or garbage dump. The waterfall we'd travelled alongside was flowing down the ledge into a kind of reservoir. The water around me was deep and murky, discoloured by the tall mounds of trash that lay abandoned in the stream. Planks of broken driftwood were scattered across the water surface.

I stopped, looking down at the water below. Sitting there, a short distance away from me, was a patch of golden flowers – almost identical to the ones I had seen in the Ruins. My heart swelled as I gazed at them, my mind filled with warm nostalgic thoughts. _Are they a figment of my imagination?_ I pondered quietly. _Surely these flowers could never grow in an environment like this_.

I thought of home, of the sunny days I spent in the fields away from the Village. And of Mom. My heart ached as a kind of forlorn sadness began to creep up on me. After that enormous climb, descending so far into the depths of the Earth, I felt further from home than ever.

Flowey reappeared atop a plank of driftwood that was lodged behind one of the garbage heaps. He was beckoning me to join him, raising another path of vines for me out of the water – a slide of greenery that allowed me to descend to the shallows where he waited. I stopped my gawking and slid my way down the vines. Down here, the water came up to my knees. I waded through the sludgy water towards him. "What's the matter?" I asked. He seemed on-edge.

"Shhhh! Keep your voice down." he hissed. "There's someone nearby."

I did a double-take. I was sure I'd misheard him. "But we're the only ones down here!" I asserted. "How–"

I stopped immediately. I'd heard something. Straining my ears, I could detect faint sounds above the rushing water. They were echoing up from further down the hallway. Listening closely, my eyes widened as I realised what they were. Voices – people talking. I turned to Flowey with a look of stunned disbelief. "Let's investigate," he rejoined, suddenly serious. He dipped down, vanishing underneath the water surface.

Now alone, I got up and proceeded cautiously down the tunnel ahead of me. I was careful to avoid making noises as I waded through the water. I didn't want to be caught out on my own.

I followed the long tunnel as it veered left. Flowey was waiting for me around the corner – he'd taken cover behind another mound of garbage. He was able to keep himself afloat in the water, his leaves acting like tiny floats as his stem poked out of the grimy water. He shook his head as he attempted to clean the sludge off his petals.

I dashed over quickly, kneeling down next to him. My back was pressed up against the garbage mound in front of us, the filthy water coming up to my waist. I could hear the voices once more – they were louder here. Timidly, I peered over the top of our hiding-place.

I saw them. There were two of them – two humans. They rummaged through the mounds of trash, pulling out any items of interest. The loose garbage fell into the water, causing ripples to funnel out across the surface. I felt the ripples in the water as they passed us.

As I looked at them, I felt something begin to well up inside of me, like the stoking of a furnace. It was a distant, yet uncontrolled feeling of loathing – an unpleasant sensation.

"Huh. Never thought I'd be pleased to see them here," Flowey remarked in hushed tones. He was peering at them from around the side of our hiding place.

"What are humans doing down here?" I whispered to myself, turning to Flowey. "Do you know them?"

"Not _them,_ specifically. But I know their sort," he replied. "They're bandits – thievin' types. They're here to make off with as much as they can carry."

I was appalled, unable to speak. I couldn't believe that there were humans brazen enough to steal from monsters – the very race of people that they'd kept captive underground all these years! We had subjugated them for so long and now some of us were plundering their old homes. It made me sick to even contemplate it.

I poked my head over the top of the heap to get another look at them. One of them, a young man, had given up on searching the piles of garbage. "How did we get stuck rummaging through the trash?" I heard him protest angrily. "There's nothing of worth here!"

His companion was a young girl – perhaps only a couple of years older than myself. She wore her hair in pigtails, a striped bandana wrapped across her head. She stood on a raised section at the rear of the tunnel, not wanting to wade further into the sewer water. "Let's just go back," she said with a sigh. "I'll bet the others will have found something. This place is completely gross." Without another word, they both turned and left. Save for the sound of lapping water, the halls of the sewer were quiet once again.

"Well, isn't this a surprise?" Flowey spoke aloud, now that they were gone. "They've got some nerve trying to steal from me!" He paused as he considered what to do next. "And yet, I think we can turn this situation to our advantage."

I saw a fiendish grin appear on his face as he turned to me. "What d'ya say we have a little fun?" he proposed, a tell-tale glint of malevolence in his eye. "Let's throw a welcoming party for them." Before I could say a word of protest, he'd already vanished.

I began to fret – this was seriously bad news. I hadn't expected the possibility of encountering humans down here but it was already evident that they had bad intentions. I had no idea how many of them there were, but I knew Flowey's antics would almost certainly make the situation worse.

 _This isn't going to end well_ , I gulped.


	11. Chapter 11 - Revel in Chaos

Now alone, I looked out from my hiding place. Making sure the coast was clear, I trudged through the muddy water up onto the dry bank where the humans had left from. _It looks like the garbage dump ends here_ , I told myself, slightly relieved. I quickly shook myself dry, though my entire lower-half remained caked in mud. But my dishevelled appearance was the least of my concerns. I needed to find Flowey and fast, before those humans discover him sneaking around. I crept up the ramp, keeping low to the ground whilst trying to silence my footsteps. I could hear a multitude of voices just ahead.

I reached the top of the ramp. The path from the sewers opened into a wide courtyard area – some kind of crossroads. Paths branched off in various directions leading deeper into the caves. Nestled away towards the back were a few houses.

I gasped. There was an entire hunting party of humans gathered in the courtyard chatting amongst themselves. They were stood around a heap of assorted ornaments and objects. They rummaged through the pile, picking out some choice spoils for themselves. Behind them, I could see more bandits pouring out of the houses. They carried heavy leather sacks that were filled with various items they'd looted.

From where I stood, I could count twelve of them in total. Thankfully, they were too preoccupied with their looting to notice me. I could feel my anger creeping up on me again but I knew it would be suicide to engage a group of that size. _They haven't spotted me yet_ , I considered carefully. _Maybe if I find somewhere to lay low, they'll move on without incident._

As I began to look for a hiding place, I felt my breath catch in my throat. Flowey popped out of the ground a short distance ahead of me, just a few metres away from the group. They hadn't noticed him yet. Flowey peered curiously through the circle they formed, trying to see what objects they'd taken.

 _So much for that plan_. Hiding was out of the question, evidently. But I wasn't about to allow him to challenge them on his own. Inhaling deeply, I broke cover and ran up towards where Flowey had rooted himself.

He seemed to be waiting for me to approach before announcing his presence. The gang still had their backs to us – their attention entirely focused on their findings. I knew this was about to change as I arrived by Flowey's side. I heard him take a deep breath.

"Hey!" Flowey yelled loudly, silencing their prattling, "Who gave you losers permission to steal from me?"

They all spun around to face us. I gritted my teeth. _We're really in trouble now_.

They looked completely bewildered. A quick glance told me that they were mostly unarmed – only a few of them were carrying makeshift weapons. They clearly hadn't expected to encounter anyone else down here. They must have been surprised to see another human this far underground, along with a talking flower. Funnily enough, it was _me_ who was getting the most confused looks.

Flowey puffed himself up. "You punks had better put the goods back where you found 'em, or else there'll be trouble!" he demanded. To a stranger, it would have seemed like he was doing his best to look threatening. But I knew he could do much better.

I heard a few members of the group laugh at this threat. One of them stepped forward – a short, stocky man with large biceps. "A talking flower, huh?" he smirked, peering down at Flowey. "What're you gonna do, little guy? Photosynthesise?"

"Wow, that's a big word! Impressive!" Flowey crowed sarcastically. "I take it you're the one that went to school?" He seemed to be deliberately attempting to aggravate the group – for what purpose I couldn't say. "Anyway, you're completely wrong… little guy," he continued with a condescending smile. "We're underground. There's no sunlight down here! Idiots."

His remarks seemed to be having their effect. The man snarled at us both with anger, his fists clenched tightly. I could also see irritation in the expressions of some of the group. I swallowed loudly. _I need to stop Flowey right now_ , I told myself. _Is he trying to get us both killed?_

The pigtailed girl I'd seen in the garbage dump was stood near the back of the group. She eyed Flowey from a distance, seemingly amused. "He's cute," she remarked to her friend who stood next to her. "Got a bit of a mouth, though."

Now it was Flowey's turn to be irritated. "Hey! I am NOT 'cute'!" Flowey returned, jostling irritably. "You take that back right now, or I'll–"

"What's the commotion?" I heard a deep voice say from behind.

The bandits hastily cleared a path as a man stepped forward from the rear of the group. He was middle-aged, tall and well-built – an imposing figure. His dark brown hair was crowned with a streak of white. He carried a weapon with him – an enormous red trident that was strapped to his back, a small crest of a flower inscribed below the head. Despite his size, the trident seemed to dwarf him. I had no idea what strength would be required to wield such a weapon, let alone carry it around. His gang congregated behind him, some of them almost in adoration. He looked at Flowey, then at me with evident disapproval.

I froze. I recognised this person. He was a renowned figure of the village – an elder. They were the ones in charge, claiming to have descended from a long line of leaders. They governed that wretched place, making all the rules and dictating how we should live our lives. I had not recognised any of the other bandits but their leader, to my dismay, was definitely known to me. It took me a moment to recall his name.

"Aldous!" I exclaimed, suddenly remembering.

"Hmm? You know me?" the man replied, eyeing me curiously.

Flowey inched over towards me. "Yo, you know this guy?" he whispered to me behind one of his leaves.

In truth, I did not know _him_ all that well. But his son happened to be one of my most fervent tormentors – a bully through-and-through. I grimaced as I looked at the man in front of me. His father was reminding me all too much of him. I half-suspected he'd fostered his son's bullying of me.

Aldous peered down at me, his brow furrowed. He would be a charismatic figure were it not for his crooked nose and tiny black, empty eyes. His whole appearance reminded me of a raven. I remembered him as an aggressively overbearing character – cold and authoritarian. It took him a few moments before he figured out who I was. "Ah, I recognise you now," he said smugly. "The feeble one."

Some of his cohort laughed at this remark, but I was almost grateful for the insult. It deflected my fears of receiving a more hostile response from him. I quickly ran through my memories of the surface in my head – though they felt ever so distant already. As one of the adults and a representative of our village, he would regularly leave for days, even weeks at a time – though I'd never known what he was getting up to during his time away. He'd last left the village on 'business' just over a week ago. _That means he doesn't know about what happened – about what I did before I ran away_ , I realised. This came as some small relief to me. Had he known, I may have gotten a different response.

His expression suddenly hardened. "What are you doing down here? And why are you in the company of this… creature?" he uttered with some disgust as he eyed Flowey.

I saw a frown spread across Flowey's face. "Hey! I don't like your tone, Mister!" he retorted, piping up. "I am the King of this place – and you are trespassing!"

Aldous gave Flowey a brief, dismissive look before looking away, as if he hadn't heard a word he'd said. "Answer me. Why are you here?" Aldous demanded, addressing me.

I'd already decided I wasn't going to submit to him, old and powerful though he was. Back in the village, it was easy for them to keep us restrained and compliant with their teachings and threats. But down here, I felt I was finally free to speak my mind – it was something I'd longed to do as far back as I can remember.

The presence of a village elder down here made me deeply anxious but I would not be cowed into silence. The very fact I'd discovered him down here confirmed everything I knew about our home – a place with no respect for anything, especially monsters. Here he was; desecrating their homes and spreading his poison to his gang – some of them as young as myself. Seeing him with his followers was a painful reminder of life back home: a microcosm of our lives growing up in that awful place.

"I could ask the same thing of you," I challenged him boldly. "Why are you ransacking these houses? Aren't you aware of where we are?"

Aldous flashed a self-satisfied smile. "There's good money to be made here. And more besides," he answered with a small chuckle. He glanced over his shoulder and ran a hand along the head of the red trident, testing the prongs with his fingertips. "We let them live down here all those years. We're simply reclaiming what should've always been ours."

I was incensed at his remarks. "These used to be their homes! How would you feel if I robbed your home?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a few smirks from the group. I was stunned by their arrogance. "You're looting from them out of greed and spite," I continued. "How can you sink so low?"

"Temper, temper," he lectured me with an amused wag of his finger. He wore a pair of thick gloves – the leather was blackened on the flat fingertips. "You should know that's no way to speak to your elders. Show some respect."

"You deserve no-one's respect!" I answered back, letting my disgust creep into my voice. "You're just a petty thief, nothing more."

He hadn't expected my insult – I knew he wasn't used to being questioned. He grew red-faced in an instant. "You insolent whelp!" he snarled through gritted teeth. Averting his gaze, he forced himself to take a deep breath. Once he'd cooled down, he stared back at me with a look of malevolence. "You will regret those words," he snapped. "Our line does not tolerate traitors."

I spoke up, determined to make myself heard. "I came to this place to prove you wrong – to defy your false ideals," I stated clearly. "You believe all monsters to be evil, and that we should treat them as our enemies. You despise them for no reason other than you can." My anger was burning deep inside me. It gave me the strength and conviction I needed. "I hate you, your 'line' and everything you stand for."

Flowey looked up at me, stunned by my declaration. I almost shared his surprise. The loathing that'd surfaced within me was overwhelming and uncontrollable – I was swept up in a riptide of hatred that could drag me under at any moment. I suddenly felt deeply uncertain about my choice of words.

Aldous was silent. I could see it in his raven-eyes, black and tiny though they were. The hatred. He regarded me as one of _them_ – a monster. Perhaps he always had. "You remind me of your mother: impudent and hopelessly idealistic," he eventually said. His words were laced with poison.

I flinched at his mention of my mother, my confidence wavering for an instant. I saw him read my reaction as a horrible smirk crept onto his face. "You made a mistake coming here, child," he continued. "No-one who sympathises with those creatures is safe outside the confines of our home. Certainly not one as weak as yourself."

"When I return, I think I'll tell them the terrible news," he grinned. "I'll say that a monster got you when you were out exploring. That I found your body at the bottom of the mountain. Your poor mother is going to be heartbroken when she learns of it."

"Another child so cruelly taken from us by the monsters," he spat viciously. "A second affront to our people."

I felt myself shudder. His eyes were filled with a maddened zeal. I could barely believe what I saw in that gaze – a hatred that mirrored and exceeded my own.

He turned back towards his cabal of thieves, raising a hand in our direction. "Get them," he ordered coldly. A few of the gang immediately began to advance on us.

Flowey intervened, springing up in-between me and our assailants. "Hold it right there!" he cautioned them. "Take one more step, and my buddy and I will be forced to defend ourselves!"

Undaunted by his threat, the group continued walking towards us. The ones who were armed brandished their weapons, preparing to strike.

Flowey gave a mischievous chuckle. It would seem this was exactly the response he'd hoped for. "Alright then. Let's tangle!"

All of a sudden, several enormous thorny vines erupted from the ground, twisting through the air and towering above us. Like the tentacles of some giant sea beast, they slammed down on the ground, swiping at the advancing group and knocking them aside.

What ensued was complete mayhem. The air was filled with terrified yells and screams as the bandits scattered in panic. Those who were carrying their spoils dropped them on the ground and ran for cover. Some scrambled around on the floor trying to retrieve their stolen goods while others were making a mad dash for the exit. I could see Aldous angrily barking orders at them, struggling to make himself heard over the din.

I came to my senses, shaking off the vestiges of my hate. I didn't know what had possessed me to make that remark but it had resulted in chaos. Flowey's power was astonishing but I needed to stop his attack. As much as I resented the bandits and their leader, I knew I couldn't allow them to get injured, or worse. "Flowey! Don't hurt them!" I pleaded with him.

"Relax!" he called out to me, preoccupied. "I'm only lookin' to scare them off!"

Taking a couple of short breaths, I turned to watch the scene before me. The vines seemed to be toying with the bandits, sweeping their legs and causing them to fall from under themselves. They were being knocked over like bowling pins. A couple of them had grabbed one of the bandits by the ankles, hoisting him up into the air. They playfully dangled him upside-down in mid-air as he cried out for help. I turned back to Flowey. He was laughing with glee, delighting in every moment of the turmoil. This madness was just a big game to him.

Breaking away from his mischief, he looked up past me. "Heads up!" he called out in warning. "There's one behind you at 5 o'clock!"

I spun around to see one of the bandits closing in on me. It was the pigtailed girl from earlier. She was running straight at me, brandishing a makeshift club fashioned out of a thick plank of wood. I barely had enough time to dodge out of the way as she charged past, her swing narrowly missing me. She spun around to face me, taking up a fighting stance.

Flowey had his back to us both, clearly occupied keeping the rest of the group at bay. But she didn't show any signs of wanting to attack him. Her only interest seemed to be in fighting me. Her green eyes dared me to draw my weapon. I knew I had no choice: I would have to keep her distracted. I would have to fight.

I reached behind me for the hiking pole. Somehow, it was only now that I fully realised what an inadequate weapon it was. The pole was light and flimsy in my hands – it was little more than a stick. I grasped it tight in both hands, angling the long, sharp point of the trail tip away from her. It was the only part of the 'weapon' that was capable of inflicting any sort of damage but I knew I couldn't use it. I would take my chances.

She raised an eyebrow at the hiking pole. "That's your weapon?" she laughed. "Nice knowing you."

Without another word, she charged straight at me, preparing to swing her club in a downward arc. Unthinking, I held the pole up above me in an attempt to block the attack. The pole was instantly smashed to bits by her club, the pieces flying off across the battlefield.

 _That was a bad move_ , I thought to myself. I don't know what I'd expected. It hadn't been much of a weapon, but it was at least something. _Now I have nothing I can use to fight back!_

She came at me again with the club. I stood there, not knowing what to do. Before I knew it, she was right in front of me, poised to strike.

At the very last moment, I felt time slow as a vision flashed into my mind. I saw where she was about to strike – the exact path her weapon would follow. Reactively, I veered to the left as she swung downwards, just as I'd anticipated. I dodged the attack completely. She followed up with a second swing. Again, I knew exactly where she would strike – I could foresee the incoming attack in my mind. I ducked as she swung at me horizontally, the club passing cleanly above my head. This caught her off-guard. She seemed startled at my agility and was slow to recover. I threw a punch that merely grazed her shoulder, but it was enough to knock her back.

She steadied herself and lunged at me once more. She swung her weapon at me several times – each time I was able to know exactly where she would strike and dodge the attacks. I saw an opening and tackled her with my shoulder. She stumbled and fell backwards, struggling to get up.

 _What's going on?_ I asked of myself in disbelief. I was no fighter but I was somehow able to hold my ground against an armed opponent. I couldn't understand it. Was she telegraphing her attacks or was I really able to predict her every move? And _how_ was I able to do this? _Could this be part of my power?_ I wondered.

We kept fighting in this way as the chaos continued around us. I would hang back, dodging her aggressive swings, and then land a counterattack whenever I saw an opportunity. Even then, she was an adept fighter and stronger than I'd expected. She swung her heavy-looking club like it was nothing and I was quickly growing tired. My visions were becoming more infrequent – I was losing my grasp of this power that had aided me. I was increasingly having to rely on my own reactions and reflexes which could only get me so far. My attempts to dodge were becoming sluggish and I was unable to find an opening.

I put distance between us both as I tried to catch my breath. She was quick, however, and saw an opportunity to catch me off-guard. She was suddenly in front of me, swinging the club for a swift strike. With no mental image of her attack in my mind and no time to dodge, I brought up both arms in an attempt to block the attack. Her swing made contact with my left forearm – my bad arm. I cried out, stumbling back – my arm hanging limp by my side. Clutching it tightly with my other hand, I saw a few drops of blood roll down from under my sleeve.

She didn't relent, deciding to capitalise on her advantage. She ran at me, swinging the club with all her strength. Her movements were slower this time and I was able to dodge, but the sheer force of the swing was enough to make me fall backwards. I landed flat on my back, unable to move. _Get up!_ I beckoned. But I was too slow. She stamped down hard on my chest with her foot, forcing the air out of my lungs and pinning me to the ground. I squirmed, struggling to get away. But it was no use – she had me right where she wanted me. With a victorious smirk, she raised the club, preparing to strike.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Flowey glance over in my direction. I saw him gasp, realising that I was in trouble. One of the vines from the battlefield sprung up at his side. It swung out across us, striking her in the chest and knocking her away from me. "Are you ok?" he asked. I gave a slow nod. I couldn't raise my left arm and I was gasping for breath, but I was alive.

"Things are getting a little too dangerous," he considered aloud. It seems he'd expected the raiders to have retreated by now. "We'd better wrap this up before–"

I looked past him. Time seemed to slow down at that moment. I could see an object sailing through the air. One of the raiders had thrown something. I stopped to focus on it. As the object got closer, I realised in horror what it was. It was a brown bottle with a soaked rag sticking out of the neck. The end of the rag was lit, the small flame burning hungrily. It spun through the air towards us. And it was headed straight for Flowey.

"Look out!" I yelled, pointing behind him.

He spotted it arcing through the air too late. One of the vines rose up in front of him in an attempt to deflect the incoming projectile. The glass bottle smashed against it, exploding in a ball of flame as its contents spilled out across him. He screams as he's drenched with the burning liquid – the most horrible sounds I've ever heard. The vines under his control immediately burst into pillars of flame. The room had become an inferno. The flaming vines flailed wildly, throwing crazed shadows across the ground and walls. Slowly, they began to retreat back into the ground.

I caught sight of Aldous – he was hurrying his gang away from the carnage and towards the exit. He stopped, his gaze falling on me. Shadows flickered across his face as he fixed me with a ghost of a smile – a look of pure malice. "Say goodnight!" I heard someone call out from behind me.

In the chaos, I'd forgotten about the pigtailed girl. She had not yet retreated with the rest of the gang. Before I could duck, I felt a sharp impact to the back of my head. I fell to my knees, my sight flickering. I saw her drop the wooden club in front of me as she ran off to join Aldous. They made their escape and were gone, leaving a scene of carnage behind them.

I struggled to keep my eyes open. My vision deteriorated as I approached the brink of unconsciousness. The only thing I could make out were the raging flames – and Flowey. He was writhing in the fire as he tried to put himself out, his face twisting and contorting into unimaginable visages. It was just as I had seen in my vision.

I felt the last of my strength slip away. Everything faded to black as the darkness crept in.


	12. Chapter 12 - Fire and Water

Something pulsed suddenly and unexpectedly. Without warning, the darkness began to disperse. My eyes were open, my heart beating rapidly. I felt a power deep within me – a power that would not let me slip away. My body longed for unconsciousness, but my soul – it was refusing.

I leapt to my feet with a renewed energy, but a horrible sight greeted my eyes. Flowey was burning alive, a black, tarry substance dripping from his leaves. He was now completely engulfed in the fire. He'd uprooted himself from the ground in his struggle, rolling around on the floor and crying out in a blind panic.

I knew I needed to act fast and find a way to put out the fire. But there was nothing I could use – nothing the bandits had procured that could help to stifle the blaze. With no other available options, I started running as fast as I could towards one of the houses in the distance. Even though I'd witnessed them being looted by those thieves, it was my best bet.

The house to the furthest left was a peculiar specimen. The entire building was designed in the style of some sort of fish creature, the windows fashioned into a set of eyes and adorned with a long tail that rested alongside the body of the building. I had no time to remark on the oddness of its design – only that there might be something inside that could save Flowey. But my heart sank as I approached. The house was blackened and crumbling – it was practically falling to pieces. The building had suffered a fire of its own and had burnt down a long time ago. The 'eyes' drooped under the weight of the partially-collapsed roof, giving the place a strangely sombre appearance. The jaw-like door hung open, a trail of sooty footprints leading away from the entrance. _Those bandits… they even looted this place too!_

I ran forward undeterred, praying that I might find something of use. But at the same time, what could I hope to find in a burnt-out, ransacked old house?

I ground to a halt a few steps from the door. Tucked away next to the building's tail were a set of buckets, lined up in a row. Peering inside, I saw they were filled with either sand and water. Some of them were empty. I couldn't believe my eyes. _These are fire buckets!_ I gasped, glancing at the burnt-out house before me. _Perhaps the monster these buckets belonged to had been unable to use them when the fire broke out?_

I snapped out of my musing – this was no time to formulate explanations. Bending down, I grabbed two of the buckets containing sand. I winced as I felt the strain on my injured arm – they were surprisingly heavy. Steeling myself, I ran back as fast as I could towards the fire.

Flowey was immersed in a sea of fire. He was still fighting against the blaze but he'd lost his strength, floundering ineffectively as the flames grew taller. His cries had died down, his voice too weak to hear over the crackle of the fire. Without any hesitation, I grabbed one of the buckets and hastily tipped the contents out on top of him, burying both him and the flames under a mound of sand. He kicked about wildly underneath the pile, desperate to free himself. Before long he burst out from sand that covered him – too quickly. I immediately grabbed the second bucket and poured it over him. There was no time to feel bad about it. It took him longer to shake himself free of the sand this time. He emerged, gasping for breath but unable to get up. He lay on the ground amongst the sand having expended the last of his strength, unmoving and scorched. But the flames were finally gone.

I ran back to the house and grabbed one of the buckets filled with water. When I returned, I stood over Flowey and, after a brief hesitation, poured the whole thing out on top of him. A cloud of steam rose off of him with a dreadful hiss. He struggled against the water but was too weak to cry out. Spluttering, he hacked up lumps of wet sand before suddenly going limp, laying perfectly still with eyes closed. He'd fallen unconscious.

I knelt down next to him. I was dismayed at what I saw – he looked absolutely awful. His yellow petals had all but burnt off completely, his little leaves blackened and half-disintegrated. His face was covered with dark scorch marks. It was a pitiful sight. But somehow, impossibly, he was still alive. I breathed a deep sigh of relief.

He was still detached from the ground. I picked him up carefully, holding his charred frame in my hands. He was so light. A dull heat radiated off him. I knew I needed to find somewhere for him to rest. Looking around, I saw a path that veered off to the left of the burnt-out house. Still holding what was left of Flowey in my hands, I followed the path down and away from the carnage.

At the bottom of the slope, we stumbled across a small pool of water that separated us from a path on the other side. The water here was perfectly still and crystal clear. Gently, I lowered Flowey into the water – he was light enough to float on the surface. With no current, he lay there on his back – a blackened splotch in the middle of the shimmering pool. He reminded me of the bits of lifeless driftwood from the garbage dump. I sat down next to the water's edge, giving another deep sigh before looking up. It was a peaceful place – a refuge from the chaos of what we'd both just experienced. We were both safe, for now.

I flinched. I remembered the pain from the impact that'd nearly knocked me out – it had returned suddenly. I felt the power within me, the power that was keeping me awake, begin to trickle away. Before I knew what was happening, I'd blacked out.


	13. Chapter 13 - Knives

I'd fallen backwards as I'd lost consciousness, but I don't remember hitting the floor. Instead I continued to fall in a single unbroken motion, the darkness rushing past me.

I had slipped into a dream, I eventually realised. In truth, it was the first thing I'd experienced in the Underground that'd actually felt like a real dream. But this wasn't just a dream. I knew this to be a memory of mine – a memory of how I'd ended up down here. Everything slowly faded away as I fell deeper and deeper into the mountain. I lost any sense of time or place as I entered a state of oblivion. I felt myself gradually disappear, swallowed up in the darkness of the mountain depths. I was weightless and intangible, a disembodied consciousness with no physical form or identity.

 _Chara…_

 _Chara…_

 _Chara…_

I woke up, my gaze darting around the room anxiously as I tried to get my bearings. We were alone. Flowey lay unconscious in the water. Everything was as I remembered it.

I groaned, holding the back of my head with one hand. It still hurt like hell from where the pigtailed girl had struck me with her wooden club. I felt like a total wreck, the sludge from the garbage dump clinging to my legs and shoes. Leaning over towards the pool where Flowey rested, I scooped up some crystal water and cleaned myself off properly.

I suddenly remembered my arm – how it'd bled when I'd attempted to block the bandit girl's attacks. With a sense of dread, I carefully pulled up my long sleeve. It was still bleeding, the bandages underneath were soaked red. I cursed quietly. Our fight had reopened my old wounds.

Making sure that Flowey wasn't watching, I hastily undid the bandages and splashed some of the water on the reopened wounds. I tried to avert my eyes from the ghastly sight of it. _What a mess,_ I thought. Once I was done, I wrapped it up in a clean set of bandages and breathed a sigh of relief, silently hoping I'd never have to see those marks again. I stretched and gave a big yawn. I was still sleepy. There was a groggy feeling that lingered on in me – something I couldn't shake. I knew I wouldn't be able to doze off if I tried.

I suddenly had an idea – an idea I gave no resistance to. Acting on the impulse, I reached into the pocket of my hoody and pulled out the crumpled paper I found there. It was a picture I'd taken with me when I'd left home – a picture of me and Mom. I hadn't wanted to look at it. I knew that a single look could end up doing more harm than good. But right now, I desperately needed reassurance – something to tell me that everything would be ok.

The photo had been taken when I was very little. We'd all gone out to the fields together on a walk. It'd been a sunny day, the air filled with the sounds of birds singing. Mom was wearing a long, flowing dress that I remembered fondly. We both wore yellow flowers in our hair – we'd plucked them from the field. We were both smiling. Looking at the photo now, I smiled back. It was one of my happiest memories.

My dreamy reminiscence faded away as I thought of my current situation. I recalled the cruel smirk I had seen on Aldous' face before he'd escaped. How he'd mentioned my mother as some kind of threat. I grew nervous, my fingers shaking as they held the crumpled photo. I felt a deadly certainty – a premonition of something terrible. I had to get out of here as soon as possible. I needed to go back to her before it was too late.

I took out my diary. After taking one last look, I tucked the photo between its pages and closed it shut.

I knew I shouldn't waste time looking at an old photo – there were more pressing issues at hand. Aldous and his gang had retreated, but they could always come back looking for revenge. With Flowey injured, we were completely defenceless. _Before we do anything else, I need to make sure they're gone for good,_ I instructed myself.

I turned to Flowey. He lay there unmoving on the water's surface, wasting away. I felt a mix of deep sadness and anger at the sight. I knew I would never forgive them for the state they'd left him in. I picked myself up off the ground and wandered back up the slope towards where we'd encountered the thieves.

I could barely believe what I saw when I got there. It was a scene of carnage. Lumps of upturned earth had been scattered from where the vines had erupted from, leaving miniature craters in the ground. The place was blackened with scorch marks from the flames. The houses, now emptied and decrepit, stood off to the side like horrified spectators. What should have been a peaceful area had been transformed into some kind of warzone.

To my relief, I could see no signs of the gang having returned since our encounter. The ground was strewn with bits and pieces of loot that they'd left behind. It looked like they'd needed to abandon much of what they'd attempted to steal. This gave me some small relief, knowing that they wouldn't be able to profiteer from their reckless actions. More importantly, it was evident that Flowey and I were alone once more. Alone and safe.

Something caught my eye amongst the jumbled mess – an object lying on the ground a short distance away from me. It gave off a faint glint. As I went to retrieve it, I recognised what it was. It was a piece of the hiking pole that had smashed apart in my fight with the pigtailed girl. It appeared to be the lower piece of the pole, with the sharp point of the trail tip designed to dig into the ground. But something had changed. I held it in the palm of my hand. The steel tip extended out from the base, the light reflecting off it with a fiendish gleam. The circular basket disc above the blade formed a hilt. What was left of the pole and locking mechanism formed the handle. I choked back a gasp. The hiking tool I had brought with me to the mountain had vanished – and in its place was something that resembled a knife.

I swallowed hard as I broke out in a rush of shivers. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, focusing on my breathing to steady my nerves. Once calm, I reopened my eyes and refocused my attention on the weapon I now possessed. I weighed it in my hands. It was light and perfectly balanced. The grip of the handle was sturdy and fitted my hand perfectly. The steel blade of the tip seemed longer than before – far longer and wicked sharp. Had it really changed, or was my mind playing tricks on me? Were I to swing it, not that I could make myself do it, I knew the blade would slice cleanly through the air – and do much worse to anything it made contact with.

There was no doubt about it. Without the full length of the flimsy pole, this was a much more efficient and deadly weapon. To me, it was almost indistinguishable from what it had once been – a simple hiking pole designed to offer support to climbers. It had been transformed: broken and remade into something far more dangerous.

It was a bad omen. Every part of me was telling me to put it down – leave it here. Nothing good would come of carrying something like this around – of that I was certain. And yet something told me to take it.

After much debating, I took the leather satchel that had once housed the hiking pole and placed it on the ground. Then, with great reluctance, I picked the knife up and tucked it away in my pocket. _It would surely be foolish to continue on without some kind of weapon._ I reasoned to myself quietly. _I still don't know what I'll encounter down here. If I want to escape, maybe I'll need to fight again. Next time, I might have to wound… or kill._ I shuddered at these thoughts but reminded myself I should be prepared for all eventualities. This practical rational of mine eventually won out. _Surely there can be nothing wrong with being well-prepared, right?_

I returned to the pool. Flowey had woken up. He was wincing, trying to lift himself out of the water but he fell back with a light splash. He was still unable to move. "This… really hurts.…" he respired weakly. "Fire magic has… got nothing on this."

"Don't rush," I told him. "We'll stay here for as long as you need."

We stayed there a long time, the distant sound of rushing water the only sound that echoed through those chambers.


	14. Chapter 14 - Determination

Happy New Year everyone! First off, I need to apologise for the wait. I know it's been a long time since the last update. Due to a mix of work, the festive period, a trip around the globe and other projects, I wasn't able to find much time to work on this fic at the end of last year. I can only apologise and thank you for your patience. Rest assured I am refocusing my efforts on finishing this fic and updates will be coming much more frequently from here on out!

The fic itself will not be an extended one and the story, for the most part, is already planned out from here. This chapter was a tricky one to write, as it's a fairly pivotal point in the story and I wanted to avoid infringing on my own continuity. I think the other chapters should be less of an eyesore in this regard. I've also discovered a few really cool fics on here that have encouraged me to up my game in terms of writing, though I'll let you be the judge of that.

A big thank you for all your comments so far - appreciate all your support and I hope you enjoy the coming chapters (I'm hoping I've saved the best for last)!

* * *

Dear Diary,

I can't sleep. My head is swimming with a mess of thoughts, though they're not often without a pattern. Despite my best efforts, my mind constantly strays back to home. I'd half-hoped I could put that place behind me forever. It was a case of naivety on my part – some things aren't so easily forgotten. Even now, as I write this, I struggle to keep those dark thoughts at bay. But I will keep writing, in hope that I can distract myself long enough for sleep to rear its head.

I wonder if this underground environment is taking its toll on me. My feelings of uneasiness have only increased since I ended up here. I know it can't have been long since I fell into the mountain, but it feels like I've been here for ages. Deep underground, the very concept of time seems to warp and shift constantly – a secret locked away within these walls. There is no Sun down here – no sky, no clouds. And the only stars are the ones they etched into the ceilings. Even those sad imitations seem so far away at times.

I sometimes wonder how they managed to survive down here for so long. The willpower needed to survive and form a society must have been gargantuan. I find it even more incredible that one of them would choose to stay down here when the others finally went free.

I still know precious little about monsters (Mom only told me so much) but, having seen this place for myself, their resilience is clear to me. We do not give them enough credit. They endured what humanity put them through, battled through conditions that could drive the best of us mad. But they never gave up hope. They are more than deserving of our respect. It just pains me to know that some of us will never understand that.

Flowey is still resting. He needs more time to recover but I desperately hope he wakes up soon. It took me a while to realise, but he's more vulnerable than he sometimes seems. And I'm becoming more protective of him, little by little. I don't want him to suffer any more misfortune, especially if it's on my behalf. I've already failed to protect him once – I'll need to be more cautious.

I still think it's strange how close we've become, all things considered. We haven't really known each other for long but he almost feels like a little brother to me – as ridiculous as that must sound. Though I can't put words to it, I can't deny this sense of kinship I feel.

I still recall that terrible vision – the vision that foretold he'd be hurt by those thugs. How is it possible that was I able to predict something like that? I wanted to believe it was a freak accident – a bizarre happenstance. I tell myself there's no way I could have known we'd encounter humans down here. But I can't shake this feeling of guilt that wracks me as I recall the events in my head. It's as if I **should** have known.

There's something else that's bothering me. As Flowey and I travel together, I'm constantly filled with a sense of wonder at every little detail of this place. And yet, there's a persistent feeling of recollection. It's as if I've somehow seen it all before – a sense of déjà vu that defies all reason. And it's everywhere! Even as I'm sat here writing this entry, I can feel a distant sense of familiarity creeping in. It's a feeling I can't dismiss – a feeling that grows more intense as we make our way through this underground world. I'd wanted to assume it's just my mind playing tricks on me, but it feels like there's something… tangible there. Some hidden truth.

It's these kinds of worrying thoughts that cause me to take refuge in my memories of the surface. Good and bad, they're still so clear and distinct and pure. Nothing is missing from them and I can gain some small comfort in their totality. It's kind of funny, in a way. All I'd wanted was to put them aside completely, but down here they're the only things I can trust – the only things that feel completely real to me.

There are still many things I don't know – things I don't understand. I get the sense I'm trapped in the middle of something bigger than any of this – and my mind won't make sense of it. I've felt this way ever since I arrived here. I'm just hoping it's not a bad sign. Once I'm out of here, I'll have time to get my thoughts in order. Perhaps these feelings will stop altogether.

In any case, it seems I was too quick to judge. For all its supposed emptiness, the Underground is far more dangerous than I'd expected. I'll need to keep my wits about me if I'm to make it out of here alive. After everything that's happened, I know I can't afford to linger here any longer.

I'm worried about Mom. I know she's still there in our little old house, trying to get on by – trying to change their minds about monsters like she always did. But many of those villagers know nothing of the outside world. They never treated her well in that place – she was always just an 'outsider' to them. Now that I'm gone, I'm worried about what might happen. They'll turn on her in an instant. After seeing what they did to Flowey, it's clear that nothing is beyond them.

I'd hoped things might get better for her if I was to disappear. I never considered myself to be a troublemaker – but there's only so much you can do to stay out of trouble in a place like that. And whenever I got hurt, it would hurt her too – she couldn't stand to see me suffer. I had to run away. If she ever finds out what happened that night, it would break her heart.

I thought I was left with no choice. But now I've gone and left her alone with _them_. And that swine, Aldous, he's on his way back there right now. She's completely defenceless. God, what have I done?

They still think I am meek and cowardly. But if that bastard does anything to her, I swear I'll hunt him to the ends of the Earth. Then he'll know who the real coward is.

* * *

It felt like a long time before Flowey was moving again. He would slip in and out of consciousness, waking up briefly every now and then before falling back into an uncomfortable slumber on the water's surface. I kept watch, patiently waiting for him to recover. Although a part of me was desperately eager to press on, I knew I couldn't leave him here alone and injured. _I have a responsibility to him_ , I reminded myself. The idea that our paths were uniquely intertwined had become an accepted notion in my mind, though I was unsure where this strange thought originated from. Had I gone on without him, I simply would have felt lost.

As I waiting in silence, my thoughts wandered back to our encounter with those thieves. I thought of Aldous as I'd seen him before he'd made his escape, as everything was burning around us. Images of that evil man and his infernal grin filled my mind – it was a struggle to keep them out. I dreaded his intentions. _I can't let him hurt anyone else_ , I vowed. _I need to get out of here and get back home so I can warn Mom. Then we can escape together. That way, we'll both be sa-_

My thoughts were interrupted as I heard a splashing noise. I glanced up to see that Flowey had fully awoken from his slumber. He was fidgeting irritably in the water, clearly signalling that he wanted to raise himself out of the pool, though he gave no indication of wanting any help from me. Very slowly, he allowed himself to drift over to the water's edge. Once he reached the ledge, I watched as he attempted to summon the strength to climb out – it was a strange sight to behold. After a couple of tries, he was just able to haul himself out of the water with the help of what little remained of his leaves. He staggered as he touched the ground and planted his stem in the dirt. He held himself up straight and violently shook himself dry.

As he stood like this, I saw the full extent of the damage he'd sustained from the fire. He was in a horribly mangled state. His golden petals were almost entirely gone, though some patches of sickly yellow remained. His leaves were blackened, burnt-away stumps and the dark blotches that covered his face gave him a sallow, drained look. His whole appearance exacted a deep sense of pity from me.

He swayed uneasily as he looked from left to right, not appearing to notice my presence. Though it was good to see him moving again, I quickly noticed how unexpectedly energetic he was. His movements were swift and nimble, as if born from a sense of urgency. Despite everything he seemed to have recovered some of his energy. He was surprisingly alert but his face bore a startled look, as if he'd just remembered something. I was about to speak when, without warning, he ducked down and vanished into the damp ground. I looked around the room, but he was nowhere to be seen. He was gone.

I had no idea what to think. Was he simply too weak to stay above-ground? Or had he really wandered off without me? I couldn't imagine what might have possessed him to venture off alone in such a state. Though I desperately told myself not to worry about him, I couldn't help but be concerned for his safety. _What if those bandits are still lurking down here?_ I suddenly thought. _They might do him in for good this time!_

It was then that I recalled our time in Snowdin. When I visited the Library, I had wandered off without Flowey knowing my whereabouts. At the time, it had startled him too – more than I would have expected. As I considered this, I realised that I was being unfair to him. He'd already apologised for overreacting to my disappearance – he didn't need me worrying about his every move.

Though I was still keen to move on, I decided it was only right to wait it out in hopes that he would eventually return. _Wherever he's gone, I'm sure he won't try and do anything dangerous,_ I reasoned. _And unlike me, he knows this place from the inside-out._ Even in his current state, it's unlikely he'll lose his way down here.

Having assuaged my fears slightly, I took a deep breath and settled down next to the water's edge, the spot from where he'd vanished. I sat there, with only the sounds of the water to accompany me, absent-mindedly drawing pictures in the damp earth with one finger. I would occasionally look over my shoulder and catch a glimpse of my reflection in the water. I frowned at what I saw. _You look like a mess_ , I thought to myself.

To my surprise, it was not long before Flowey returned. He sprung out of the ground a short distance from where he'd disappeared. His reappearance made me glance up suddenly. He was facing away from me, short of breath and seemingly less energetic than he'd been before he left.

"Flowey!" I called out to him. "Are you ok? How are you feeling?"

There was a pause. He turned to look at me. His movements were slow and sluggish, his whole expression gloomy and dour. And yet I detected a hint of satisfaction in his eyes that seemed at odds with his sullen appearance. "I've seen better days," he muttered quietly.

I permitted myself a small smile. After what he'd experienced, it seemed miraculous that he wasn't in a worse condition. "I'm so glad you're holding together," I confessed, deeply relieved. "I was worried you were a goner."

Flowey looked up at me with an incredulous expression. "Who, me? What gave you that idea?" He stood up tall and proud. "Those upstart punks aren't gonna get the best of me! It'll take more than that to-" He stopped short, arching over as he gasped for air. He was having difficulty holding himself upright.

The sight of this was difficult to watch. I felt my smile fade, unable to shake the sense of guilt I felt. It'd been my childish outburst that'd caused this to happen, I reflected. "Flowey… I'm sorry," I said in hushed tones, a heavy feeling in my throat.

Flowey looked up at me with curiosity. "Huh? What's up?" he asked expectantly, his voice faint.

I suddenly remembered that I'd chosen not to mention my vision to him. He was still unaware of what I'd seen before things had gone wrong. _Should I tell him?_ I pondered for a moment, though my indecision was not prolonged. I quickly decided there was no reason to keep what I'd experienced from him. "I don't know how to say this, but…." I hesitated for a moment. "When we were in the Wishing Room, I had… a vision of some sort. I saw that you would get hurt."

I noticed a subtle change in Flowey's expression. He looked straight at me. "You don't say?" he said in a curious but measured manner. He seemed practically amused by my confession, giving a friendly but pained smile. "You could've told me, y'know. It might have saved us some trouble." He leant over the edge of the pool, checking his reflection in the water with a disgruntled frown of his own. "And a few petals," he added.

I shook my head. "I don't understand why this is happening," I admitted with a sense of helplessness. "It's my fault this happened. And I'm worried that I might be a danger to you." I kept my gaze averted. It was difficult to speak to him directly. One look at his charred form would bring back the images in my mind of what he'd suffered – the fire and the chaos.

Flowey turned away from the water and looked me in the eyes. "Hey, come on – cheer up! It's not your fault," he urged sympathetically. "I might look like a dainty little thing to some people, but I can take a beating," he said as he waggled the stubs of his leaves with some amusement. He seemed to have rediscovered his previous energy, swaying gently as he spoke. "That's the perks of determination for ya!" he declared cheerfully.

I froze. A tiny gasp escaped my lips. _What did he just say?_ It was that word: 'determination' – a word that provoked this fierce reaction in me whenever I heard it, though I knew not why. No sooner had he said it, the familiar but bizarre fixation within me was revived – a desperate urge to decode its meaning. All of a sudden, my mind was racing – my latent curiosity instantly reinvigorated.

I pictured the journal I'd discovered in the Snowdin town library – how it had made some small mention of 'determination'. I remembered my disappointment as my findings were cut short by the torn page – the answers literally ripped from my grasp.

I felt a burning need to learn more. _What is determination? And what does he know about it?_

"Flowey, I understand if you still need time to recover," I said cautiously under some pretence of consideration. "But I'm curious to know more about your power. Tell me about the 'perks' of your… determination."

Flowey looked up at me in amusement. "That's a strange request for someone like you, don'tcha think?" he remarked. "Kinda out-of-the-blue, if you know what I mean."

I didn't know how to respond, unsure of what he was implying. He turned away, surveying the glimmering pool of water. "Well… determination is the power to 'Reset'. The ability to return to your 'save point' – an earlier point in time," he explained aloud, as if reciting a set of lines he'd committed to memory long ago. "You can even escape death!" he added.

I kept my eyes on him. He was gazing with a contemplative eye into the depths of the shimmering pool. Though the water was crystal clear, there was no telling how deep the waters ran. The depths seemed to disappear entirely, shrouded in darkness and indiscernible to both of us. "Those are just some of the uses I've found for it. But sometimes, I get the feeling we've only scratched the surface," he mused, eyes focused on a single spot in the water. "I wonder what a truly powerful person could do. With enough power the applications of determination could be limitless, when you think about it. Who knows what other possibilities exist?" He turned to face me suddenly, fixing me with a searching gaze. "It's pretty exciting, don't you think?"

I felt myself stumble slightly as I took a step back. I could barely process what he was telling me. What on earth had I come across? He was speaking about these otherworldly concepts – 'resetting time', 'save points', 'escaping death' – as if they were the most obvious things in the world. Was I really supposed to believe that 'determination', whatever it might be, could allow for the development of these kinds of powers?

I thought back to the journal from the Library. It had mentioned that determination contained unknown properties – or something to that effect. It seemed that little was known about determination, even by Flowey's own admission. But surely such powers couldn't exist?

And then there was his assertion that he commands these powers himself. It seemed like a ridiculous claim – a 'determined' flower, of all things? On the other hand, I was quite sure I'd thrown out any pretence of normality the moment I met this soulless, temperamental, talking little flower. It was hardly what you'd call an everyday occurrence. Was it such a stretch to accept the possibility of having to add 'time travel' to his growing list of abnormalities?

My head was spinning. _This is crazy!_ I told myself as I tried to steady my breathing. _What have I gotten myself into?_ My head was a muddle of doubts and abstractions that I feared I'd never be able to make sense of. It seemed impossible to rule out any possibility at this point. Above all these thoughts, however, one lone question rang out in my mind: what does any of this mean to me? Why do I feel such a connection to 'determination'? What is the significance of this word to _me_?

I heard a small noise that broke my trail of thought. I looked up. Flowey was giggling at me. "You're funny when you go all dopey-eyed," he chuckled. "I'm curious to know what's floatin' around in that head of yours."

I welcomed his invitation to unburden myself of this cascade of conflicting thoughts, though I struggled to find my tongue. "You said that, using determination, you're able to 'reset' to an earlier time – and escape death," I spelled out, as if to reaffirm these concepts to myself. "Is that really possible? Have you ever done that?"

"Of course! That's kindergarten stuff for anyone with a shred of power!" he answered boastfully. And then, within an instant, his joviality seemed to recede. He paused. He seemed strangely unsettled, as if a disturbing thought had made itself apparent. "Come to think of it, it wouldn't have worked back there when they got the jump on me… what with you mulling about here."

"It wouldn't have worked? Why not?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

My question seemed to surprise him. "It's the golden rule, duh!" he exclaimed with some exasperation. "When two forces of determination clash, the strongest takes.…" He paused abruptly, as if a sudden realisation had just crossed his mind. "Hang on a minute. Are you telling me you don't know this already?"

I answered him with a blank, unwitting look. It took a moment before it finally registered with him that I clearly had no idea what he was talking about. "Unbelievable!" he cried, aghast at my bemused expression. He eyed me suspiciously – the same way someone might scrutinize a defective product. "This is ridiculous! How can someone be so ignorant of their abilities?" he murmured to himself.

I felt my breath catch at his words. _My… abilities?_

"Flowey, what are you saying?" I asked, unable to contain myself. "Are you telling me I have this power too? This... determination?"

What followed was a deeply awkward silence. Flowey fixed me with a look of baffled disbelief. He seemed completely dumbfounded. I gulped. Had I said something stupid? I was still unsure but, for perhaps the first time, neither of us seemed to know what to say to each other. After what felt like an eternity, he broke the silence with a dry little laugh. "You figure it out," Flowey said sardonically. "It'll be funnier that way."

My eyes widened. I tried to speak but he hastily dismissed my protests. "We ought to get moving," he said, waving aside my perplexed stuttering. Drawing himself up, he hastily disappeared back into the earth without another word, signalling the end of our conversation. And that was that.

I held a hand to my forehead. _He's being more cryptic than ever!_ I gasped. I could understand if he was growing tired and unwilling to tolerate my constant questioning – but what he'd just told me was nonsense to my ears! _He was speaking of the existence of powers over time – powers over life and death – and he wants me to 'figure it out by myself'?!_

I tried to calm down. I'd like to think I had reason to believe that Flowey was speaking nonsense. _Perhaps his ill health is causing him to suffer from delusions?_ I reasoned. The possibility he had become mentally unhinged was not a pleasant one – but how else was I supposed to make sense of what he'd just divulged? It all seemed completely ridiculous.

And yet I forced myself to consider the possibility that the powers he spoke of, the 'perks' of determination, might be true. _Is it really so ridiculous?_ I wondered. I had experienced that strange vision, predicting that Flowey would get hurt at the hands of those thieves. And then I thought about the time he'd tried to scare me as a prank – how he'd displayed my soul, that strange, pinkish blob, to me before threatening to destroy it right before my eyes. I had fought back against him with some sort of power – an energy that had come from my soul. _Perhaps I do have abilities of some sort_ , I considered. _But how does any of this link to determination? They don't relate to anything he described. I never even knew I had such powers!_

I sighed. I was getting nowhere with this. My thoughts were circling endlessly, threatening to tie my brain in knots. _It's best to focus on what I know for certain_ , I realised. _I still need to escape from the Underground as soon as possible. Flowey might not be able to travel far in his current state but we can still make some headway_. On reflection, I was already beginning to suspect that we didn't have much farther to go. This lone suspicion spurred me on, filling me with renewed energy. I was still tired from having kept watch but this didn't bother me. As far as I was concerned, it was time to get back on the move.

I ran back up the slope where I expected Flowey to be waiting, leaving the quiet little pool far behind.


	15. Chapter 15 - The Staring Contest

Next chapter coming very soon! A certain skeleton is ready to make his appearance!

* * *

I caught up with Flowey at the scene where the fight had broken out. He was waiting for me near the path that the bandits had used to escape. I glanced around quickly. There was still no sign that they'd returned while Flowey was out cold. The scorched ground was still littered with makeshift weapons and pieces of abandoned loot left by the thieves. The burnt-down house that resembled a fish beheld the wreckage from a distance with a strange kind of sadness. Almost everything was the same as when I'd checked last. There was only one difference: the leather satchel that'd housed the hiking pole. It lay on the ground a short distance away, abandoned and utterly lifeless. It had lost its purpose when the pole had been smashed to pieces by that girl bandit. _And I still have one of those pieces with me_ , I remembered. I reached into my pocket and faintly ran my fingers over the handle of the dagger-like weapon I now possessed. Without meaning it, my hand slipped from the handle down to the 'blade' of the weapon. I felt the sharpness of the steel against my fingertips. A faint chill crawled up my spine. I suddenly wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.

Flowey and I proceeded on together down the winding path. I quickly noticed that our surroundings were beginning to darken – the light of the caves gradually dissipating with every step we took. I suspected that we might be getting close to the deepest point of the caves.

I kept a close eye on Flowey whenever he was above-ground. He would spend more time hidden away underground, out of my sight, seemingly to conserve his diminishing energy. When he was able to show himself, his mood was decidedly more solemn. He kept his head lowered, his movements slow. The smell of burnt grass permeated the air. He looked miserable. But despite his injuries, there seemed to be a part of him that was desperately clinging to life. He was clearly in a lot of pain, but the will to go on living was there, driving him forward. It's something I can relate to – something I've come to understand. Our conversations were less frequent but, to my surprise, he would always perk up immediately when speaking to me. It was as if the extra company was a life-force to him – something he was depending on.

"You should know that those losers aren't the only group to come down here on a treasure hunt," he started. "There have been others before them."

"Others?" I responded in disbelief. "Other humans?"

Flowey gave a weak shrug. "I assume so. Never got a chance to see 'em. They come down here, traipsing around, looking for stuff to steal," he said with a sigh. "I'll give them credit: they're pretty sneaky. I've never caught them in the act before – I guess they don't come down here too often. But I always notice when something goes missing."

I shook my head. "This is wrong," I muttered quietly. I couldn't believe they'd be so brazen as to steal from a place like this. Surely they would all be aware of the history surrounding the Underground. Why show such abject disrespect?

Flowey grinned. "Well, I haven't let them take my throne. Not yet." He puffed himself up, lifting his head in a regal fashion. "A King never cedes his throne to a bunch of filthy vagrants!" he orated boisterously. I gave a small smile. It was good to see he'd retained some of his quirkiness. I always found his little shifts quite amusing in their own way.

We came to a pair of miniature waterfalls, the water spilling across our path and forming two small, shallow streams. I crossed the first stream slowly, tentatively dipping my foot in the water first to gauge the flow. To my surprise, the current was extremely gentle and the water didn't even reach the top of my shoes. As I stepped across the water, Flowey reappeared ahead of me in the spot between the two streams. "Speaking of which, you really tore that Aldous guy to shreds!" he remarked with a beaming grin. "That was a pretty brave thing to do, y'know." He sounded genuinely impressed, though I personally couldn't guess what he'd found so impressive about my outburst. I gave no response and kept walking – I had no desire to talk about or even think of that man.

I crossed the second stream quickly and with little effort. From here, I could see further down the long corridor. The path ahead of us seemed to darken considerably. Flowey seemed to hang back momentarily as I walked on ahead. "Although I might have gone further…" I heard him call out to me above the sound of the streaming water.

I took a few more steps forward, fully expecting Flowey to pop up in front of me on the approach to the dark area ahead. But he didn't – he'd come to a stop a short distance behind me. I wondered if he was beginning to succumb to fatigue, perhaps having overexerted himself. As I turned to face him, however, my heart jumped. Arching over the stream was a flower wearing a hideously realistic human face. It was Flowey – he was mimicking Aldous. He'd recreated the man's face to the finest detail, including the ghostly pale complexion and the large bushy eyebrows sitting above those tiny black eyes. The burnt petals that jutted out from his jawline only added to the face's ugliness. He postured pompously as he viewed his reflection in the stream of water. "It's a really punchable face, huh?" he remarked with a smug pout.

The sight of him turned my blood cold but I urged myself to remain composed. "D-Don't do that!" I exclaimed. His little act of mimicry was repulsive to me beyond words.

With a quick shake, Flowey reverted back in an instant with a sly little laugh. "You really can't stand him, can you?" he chuckled. "I can tell how much you hate him."

I shook my head, looking away. "He's only one man," I ruminated. "There are others who think just like him – those who'll hold him up as some sort of leader. They're just as bad."

"Would you kill him if you could?" Flowey asked.

The question startled me. I was silent for a while, allowing myself to entertain the thought. I knew I shouldn't have even considered it – it was against my better judgement. But I decided to let myself play with the idea. I was unsure if I had it in me to kill someone. For so many years, I had bought into their words – I believed myself to be a weakling and a coward. But I wasn't so sure anymore. As much as I hated the man, could I really summon the strength to kill him? Was something like that really within my capabilities? I amazed myself with my answer. "Yes," I blurted out.

Flowey laughed raucously at this answer, sending himself into a fit of coughing. He wheezed heavily into one of his partially-disintegrated leaves. "Knock it off! You don't mean that," he cackled.

I held up a hand to cover my mouth. _Did I really just say that?_ I gasped, completely horrified. Did I just fantasise about the prospect of murder? It wasn't even a notion I'd considered – not with any seriousness, at least. The words had escaped my lips almost subconsciously, seemingly without any input from me. _Are those really my thoughts?_ I fretted as I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. I knew I would never have harboured such dangerous thoughts back home – let alone give voice to them. So what about me had changed?

I clumsily attempted to backpedal. "B-But they almost killed you!" I exclaimed in disbelief, somehow without realising I was seeking to justify my answer.

Flowey gave an inconsequential shrug, as if this fact was barely worth considering. "Just a bunch of jerks following a bigger jerk – s'all they amounted to," he said dismissively. "They were good for a few laughs."

I scratched my head, perplexed by his leniency. "I'm starting to think you might just have a soft spot for humans," I remarked. I couldn't make sense of it. It was incredible to me that he would seek to make excuses for those thugs. After all, they were the ones who'd left him in this miserable state.

Flowey seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. He flashed a disdainful look at me. "Think what you like," he answered bluntly, followed by a brief pause. "You're wrong, by the way," he added.

We came to a large open chamber that was shrouded in a thick darkness. We'd finally entered the belly of the caves. The whole area was deathly quiet. The ambience of the waterfalls we'd just passed was strangely absent, drowned out by a stifling silence. It was as if the darkness itself had gobbled up any sound that'd dared to try to enter the chamber. I'd only taken my first steps into this place and the small waterfalls already seemed so far behind us. I shuddered. The last time I'd entered an area this dark, Flowey had played a horrible trick on me, frightening me to within an inch of my life. I took some comfort in knowing that he was unlikely to have the will nor energy to attempt such a stunt again.

Despite the encroaching darkness, the path we sought was aglow with a mixture of luminous grass and fluorescent fungi. The shining path twisted and turned in a maze-like pattern, spiralling off into the distance. The sides of the path were lined with a set of tall, beacon-like objects that emitted a soft, bluish glow. At first I assumed them to be braziers but, to my amazement, they were in fact a host of bizarre, luminous trees. The giant crystals that lay scattered alongside the pathway radiated a hazy, pinkish light. _No doubt these were used as beacons by the monsters that lived down here_ , I realised. Regardless, I still found the whole place deeply unsettling. All of these lights added a placidness that distracted me from the chamber's ominous, all-consuming presence, like the glowing lure on an angler fish.

Flowey was more active here – he took the lead with a burst of energy as he led me down the glowing path. It was likely he'd tried to conserve his strength up to this point so he'd be able to show me the way. Our path branched at points, though he seemed to know the correct path to take in each instance. I followed his lead closely, relieved that he was here to help me. Though I could see he was quickly growing tired, I was unsure that I would've been able to navigate the path without his help. The gentle glow of the lights were dazzling to my eyes, blurring together and playing tricks on my vision. _Maybe I should have tried harder to get some sleep earlier_ , I considered.

Although I could sense we were both beginning to tire, I was still keen to get to the bottom of his motivations. "I… still don't quite get it," I admitted to him. "Those fiends hurt you badly – but you still want to go to the surface, knowing that people like that exist?"

"Sure, why not?" he fired back with a speed that belied his drowsiness. "It's not like all humans are like that. You're not like that."

I hesitated for a moment. "I'm not so sure..." I said apprehensively as we moved along the path. I wanted to open up to him – to give voice to the ideas that'd wracked me for so long. "It just seems to me that there's something inherently bad about us – humans, I mean. Something that drives us to do terrible things by nature. Not like the monsters."

I heard a strained noise. Flowey was trying to laugh but it came out as more of a wheeze. "Don't be naïve," he scoffed. "Monsters aren't all sunshine and rainbows. You'd do well to remember that."

We both fell silent at that moment. _Maybe I shouldn't have broached this topic_ , I panicked. I knew he was lacking in energy and not fit for idle chat. At the same time, I could tell there was something he wanted to share with me. His mood had suddenly darkened, as if there was something on his mind that was causing him agitation. Eventually he spoke. "There was one guy – a skeleton," he muttered, almost under his breath. "He caused me a lot of pain in the past."

His confession startled me, causing me to stop in my tracks. Mom had always told me that monsters came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and could take a multitude of different forms. But the form of a skeleton? Was that even possible? I couldn't deny I found the idea of a sentient skeleton more than a little disturbing – especially if they were violent in nature like the one he described.

"This skeleton… he hurt you?" I asked with a concerned expression.

Flowey nodded slowly, coughing up a tiny cloud of ash. "A few times," he grumbled quietly. "Smiley trashbag."

"Smiley what?" I echoed, giving him a puzzled look.

He glanced up at me. "It's just my name for him," he answered with a grin.

We walked on together in silence. Before long, I could see in the distance the point where the glowing path came to an end – we were getting close. I was about to breathe a sigh of relief when, without warning, Flowey stopped and turned to face me. "Listen to me. If you ever run into him, don't let him get inside your head," he cautioned, suddenly serious. The shadows of the chamber wrapped around him, masking his features and creating an atmosphere of intense severity. "And whatever you do, don't tell him anything about yourself! You can't trust him!"

I felt myself shudder slightly. I was growing to like this skeleton less and less. The way Flowey spoke, I almost expected him to be lurking in wait for us in the darkness. I found myself wondering: what could have led him to 'hurt' Flowey in the past? "Do you think he might come down here looking for you?" I asked curiously.

Flowey shook his head wearily. "I dunno. He seems to have a habit of appearing at the worst times." He looked away from me, staring off into the darkness. "An' something tells me he'd be… less than pleased to know I still exist."

We kept going until we reached the end of the glowing path. I rubbed my eyes as we left the darkness of the chamber – the light was dazzling to me. We followed the dirt path as it wrapped around a nearby corner, leading to a long, open corridor. The trail was lined with a mixture of strange-looking plants and grassy foliage. It was here that Flowey indicated he wanted to stop. He wore a languid expression and he seemed to be struggling to stay awake. He'd clearly used up all of his remaining strength. To be frank, I was surprised we'd even made it as far as we did.

Flowey picked out a spot just off the path for us to rest – a large grotto area full of the tall blue flowers. We nestled down in a spot between a cluster of the flowers. The ground was a disorderly mess of tangled roots and leaves, the whole place untended and overgrown. A gentle shadow enveloped us like a blanket.

I looked up at the blue flowers that towered over us. _This is their home_ , I thought to myself in daydream, _and we're intruders_. But the flowers didn't seem offended by our presence in their midst. Their heads turned slowly away from us, though there wasn't anything unwelcoming about the gesture. It was done in a way that seemed to signal respectful privacy rather than disdain.

"You're awfully trusting, y'know that? It's pretty weird," Flowey remarked. I pulled myself out of my daydream and met his glance. His pallid complexion lent a strange resonance to his words. "Think about it. You're in an unfamiliar place and your only companion is a soulless abomination," Flowey stated in a very 'matter-of-fact' way. He looked me dead in the eyes. "Doesn't that scare you? Aren't you frightened?"

Suddenly, his face morphed into the most monstrous expression I'd seen yet. He glared at me with maddened, empty eyes – his gaze threatening to tear through me. His jaw hung open in a hideous, twisted grin to reveal several rows of razor-sharp teeth, a dark bloody liquid dripping from his mouth. The shadows congregated around him and melded with the burn damage he'd sustained, accentuating the ghastliness of his visage. He leaned towards me, unblinking.

I was impressed. It was an earnest attempt from him to creep me out. But I wasn't going to be cowed. I didn't say a word. I didn't even flinch. Instead, I looked away for a second. I quickly lowered the hood of my sweatshirt and, with both hands, ruffled my wiry hair into a wild mess of dark curls. Then I fired back by pulling a face of my own. I snarled at him, my eyebrows furrowed as I attempted the fiercest gaze I could muster. My eyes strained in their sockets with simulated mania, the pupils wanting to fire at their target like bullets. I bared my teeth, imagining them to be as sharp as knives, my tongue hanging loose from my angled jaw. It wasn't a patch on the horror that Flowey could conjure up but I tried my best.

We held our expressions for what must have only been a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. Neither of us moved an inch. Then, as the tension reached its peak, he finally relented, descending into a fit of hysterical laughter. I gradually relaxed, and quietly laughed along with him. It had been a nerve-wracking contest but I couldn't help but laugh at how dumb we'd both acted.

Even after I had cooled off, Flowey went on giggling uncontrollably for a good long while. He was just like a little kid. I smiled, patiently waiting for him to calm down. "You've really changed!" he eventually forced out amongst breaths. "You're practically unshakable now!"

"No, not 'unshakable' exactly," I said, still smiling. "I guess I'm getting used to having you around."

Flowey took a few more deep breaths, unable to stop giggling quietly to himself. Then he looked up at me. "What do you say? Best of three?" he offered with a friendly smile.

I gave a small sigh. "No thanks," I answered.

Some time passed after our little game. We began to settle down. The place had grown quiet, the silence punctuated by the subtle ambience of water. There was a distant, gentle 'drip drop' sound that echoed down the hall. I spent some time listening to the sound, emptying my mind and concentrating on it, to the point where I could predict when the next 'drop' would occur. I looked over. Flowey seemed to be focusing on the sound too. The effect on him was almost hypnotic. I watched as his heavy eyelids tried to shut.

He stayed that way for a short while before snapping out of his reverie. "I'm gonna get some sleep," he announced with a small yawn. But rather than close his eyes, he stayed put and remained oddly alert. I watched as he glanced down the hallway timidly – he seemed anxious. I watched with concern as he repeated this action several times. "You're still worried, aren't you? About that skeleton," I spoke up.

He looked at me. He was so tired, and yet visibly nervous. "I… shouldn't have mentioned it to you. Now I've got a bad feeling," he answered, quivering slightly. "If he catches me like this, I'm done for." This was the first time I'd seen him so frightened.

"Don't worry about him," I said in a bid to reassure him. "Go to sleep. I'll keep watch."

My words seemed to have their effect – he slowly began to relax. "You're so... nice," he mumbled drowsily as his eyes closed, his head lopped forward.

I counted the seconds. Within the space of a minute, he was fast asleep, assuming the guise of a regular-looking flower. He must have been completely exhausted.

I kept watch as Flowey slept. Despite my tiredness, I did my best to remain vigilant. I knew he was in my care. Even if his story about the skeleton was some kind of delusion, there were still the thieves to look out for. I would need to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

I almost jumped as I noticed one of the towering blue flowers had turned towards us, lowering its head to my level. It was as if it was inviting us to speak to it. "What do you want?" I whispered to it, keeping my voice hushed to avoid waking Flowey. There was a pause. "What do you want?" it whispered back to me in my own voice.

 _Well, now I just feel stupid,_ I reflected.

I gave a big stretch and lay flat on my back. I was well and truly exhausted. I looked up at the ceiling of the cave. It was shrouded in darkness – a starless night sky that called back my memories of the Wishing Room. There was something equally tranquil about this place – something inherently relaxing. The distant, echoing sounds of rushing water and the soothing blue tinge of the cave walls were deeply comforting, conspiring to lull me to sleep. I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open.

And yet I wouldn't sleep. It didn't seem to matter how tired I felt – I simply could not shut off. In fact, I was more restless than ever in a way that confounded me. I felt an irritable desire to keep going without Flowey – to walk on alone and see what lay further down the path. I tried to put this urge aside, but the feeling only grew more and more intense. I knew with a certainty that we were almost out of Waterfall, almost out of these caves, and the thought was driving me insane.

 _Perhaps I could permit myself a short walk_ , I eventually convinced myself, giving in to this sensation I had no way of explaining. _There shouldn't be any harm in scouting ahead._ I got to my feet slowly, being careful not to disturb Flowey. I looked down at him. He was surprisingly well-concealed amongst the Undergrowth – his incinerated, blackened petals allowing him to blend in with the shadows and other foliage. As long as I didn't stray too far, and with him disguised as a regular-looking flower and hidden away, I expected he would be safe.

I trudged my way through the undergrowth of our hiding place, leaving Flowey to slumber peacefully. I stepped back onto the path where we'd left off. As a gentle breeze drifted up from the end of the hall and caressed the back of my neck, I walked on alone, determined to discover what lay ahead.


	16. Chapter 16 - Sans on the Scene

I followed the path as it led away from the flower-filled area and looped around towards a new chamber. My eyes widened in surprise. Before me lay a vast canyon that stretched out into the distance. There were a set of platforms separated by a pair of rickety wooden bridges that led over the top of the ravine. As I crossed the bridges in turn, I willed myself not to look down at the jagged rocks below.

Once over the second bridge, I found myself in a wide, open area. To my left stood a towering outcrop of dark rocks that was monolithic in shape and scale. It was a spectacular sight, and yet there was something oddly familiar about it. A wide entrance to a cave passage was bored into the front. _That must be the way out of here_ , I determined. _I shouldn't go any further on my own – not until Flowey has recovered._

I walked out to the edge of the cliff. I was standing on a bluff that looked out into the darkness of the caves we'd passed through earlier. There was a cool breeze blowing that roused me from my drowsy state. I'd kept my hood of my jumper lowered from earlier. I ran my fingers through my hair, ruffling the curls. The wind felt good – it was invigorating and refreshing. _Just what I'll need if I want to stay alert_ , I thought gratefully.

At the very instant this thought crossed my mind, I detected a small movement behind me. I felt my heart jump. _It's those bandits!_ I panicked. No doubt they'd come back and were looking for Flowey. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what I had to do. I kept a hand hovering over the pocket where I kept my knife-like piece of the hiking pole. _If they've come back for a fight, I'll need to handle them myself,_ I steadying myself. I spun around quickly, expecting to see the group standing before me.

But there were no bandits. Standing between me and the cave entrance was a lone figure, short and stumpy in stature. A skeleton. He was a good deal shorter than any of the humans I'd encountered down here – even I was taller than him. He was dressed in a blue hooded parka over a white shirt and a pair of black, baggy shorts, rounded off with a curious pair of slippers. He wore a big, hearty smile that seemed good-humoured and yet disturbingly vacant. I felt my eye twitch slightly. He stood completely still and unmoving like some sort of apparition – I was beginning to wonder if he was a figment of my fevered imagination.

"heya," the skeleton eventually said, shattering this illusion. His greeting was accompanied by a small, half-hearted wave of his hand. His bony fingers hung there lazily, making barely any effort to waggle. When he'd completed this gesture, he stuck his hands back in the front pockets of his parka. "how's it goin'?"

 _So this is the skeleton Flowey told me about_ , I thought to myself. His warning immediately rushed into my head. "You can't trust him!" is what he'd said, though I found myself wondering why I should be intimidated. This chubby-looking skeleton certainly wasn't the most physically imposing creature, and hardly what I'd expected from Flowey's description of him. Although, thinking back to his description, there was one detail that had caught my attention – the nickname he'd used. _What had Flowey called him? Smiley-something?_ I took another look at him. _Well,_ h _e certainly got that part right_ , I thought to myself. In any case, I couldn't deny it was a little bit creepy coming face-to-face with a living skeleton.

In the back of my mind, one question was lingering: _how did he manage to sneak up on me?_ I hadn't registered his approach at all – it was as if he'd appeared from out of nowhere. I suddenly felt very uneasy. _Perhaps he possesses some sort of power like the 'determination' Flowey described to me_ , I worried. _He might be more dangerous than he looks._ I eyed him with an acute sense of distrust. He kept his hands hidden in the pockets of his parka jacket. _What if he's concealing some kind of weapon?_ I immediately thought.

Despite these disturbing thoughts, I refused to back down. I felt a burning sensation in my chest as I was emboldened with a new sense of bravery. No matter how dangerous or powerful this skeleton was, I resolved I would keep Flowey safe – I would not let him come to harm from anyone, human or monster.

The skeleton was still looking at me in anticipation. I remained silent. He was affecting a relaxed, unthreatening demeanour. His gaze wandered off as he scanned our surroundings. "gotta tell ya – it's real strange coming back to this place," he said half-to-himself. "an' it's even stranger findin' a human down here." The tiny white pupils of his big, black sockets were focused on me once more. "when i heard rumours that someone had fallen down the mountain, i got curious."

At that moment, I suddenly had a thought. _Wait a minute…_ _I'm the first human he's encountered in the Underground?_ I pondered curiously. _Didn't he encounter the bandits as they were making their escape? Did they make it out, or are they still down here?_ I shook my head, putting this thought aside – now was not the time to dwell on such things. I kept my eyes fixed on the skeleton in front of me. I couldn't afford to let him out of my sight for even a moment.

"d'ya know they're all talkin' about you up there?" the skeleton asked, gesturing up towards the surface. "you're all over the papers and the tv, accordin' to my bro. though, to tell ya the truth, current events aren't my bag."

 _His bro? He has a brother?_ I wondered to myself. He was such a bizarre figure, I couldn't imagine what a sibling of his would be like. Just one of these creatures seemed like more than enough.

"he said somethin' about them finding an abandoned tent at the top of the mountain," the skeleton went on. "folks are speculatin' that someone fell in. wouldn't have been the first time."

This comment caught me off-guard. He was right – it wasn't the first time something like that had happened. But how did _he_ know about that?

"my bro only caught the story whilst tryin' to find the MTT channel. they were reportin' it too, though," the skeleton recalled with a chuckle. "ended up cancellin' an episode of his favourite cooking show 'cause of it. boy, was he mad."

I could barely comprehend what he was telling me. Against my best judgment, I felt a need to speak up. "W-Who are you?" I asked tentatively. "And how were you able to find me?"

The skeleton looked up quickly in surprise. "i knew i was forgettin' something. my bad." He held out a bony hand towards me. "i'm sans. sans the skeleton."

He kept his hand outstretched. He was stood several metres away from me and it took me a moment to realise what he was proposing. _He wants me to shake his hand?!_ I puzzled. I knew there was no way I'd be taken in by such a request. After all, it could very easily be some kind of trap. I decided to stay put – alert and unblinking.

When Sans realised I was making no move to approach him, he drew his hand back. "as for your other question," he continued, trying to put aside my caginess, "there are cameras all over the place down here, and a lab not far from here that controls 'em." He held his hands out in an earnest display. "so... that's how i found ya. well, you and your companion."

I went cold. _He knows about Flowey_.

Sans was still smiling – it seemed to be the only expression he knew. "yeah. i was pretty surprised to see that thing still lurkin' around, after everything that happened," he continued. "bad accounting on my part, i s'pose."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," I responded unconvincingly.

He looked me over and gave a small chuckle. "you both seemed real chummy when i saw ya on the screen. is the flower your..." He paused for effect, giving a wink. "...best _bud_?"

I gave no response. The pun wasn't lost on me – its effect was almost disarming. I even felt an urge to laugh. I quickly shook it off. Sans held his hands up in an apologetic manner, still grinning. "sorry, couldn't resist."

I remained impassive. _He's trying to throw me off-guard_ , I thought to myself. I tried to bolster my resolve, secretly hoping he didn't have any more bad jokes prepared.

Sans answered my forced, stern looks with a slightly puzzled expression. "look, you don't need to hide anythin' from me," he urged. "i came down here to help ya, after all." He paused for a moment, his eyes darting from left to right. "speakin' of which, where is that flower anyway?"

At this point, I knew I had to take a stand. "I'm not telling you where he is," I said firmly, clenching my fists. "You hurt him once before, and you'll do it again."

Sans was momentarily taken aback by my accusation. "kid, you're not makin' a lot of sense," he said, slightly startled. "you're the one i'm worried about." He went back to glancing around the area once more – he seemed to be scanning every inch of ground. Seemingly satisfied, he turned towards me. "well, anyway, it's a good thing you're on your own," he said with a sense of relief. "we can make a move while it's gone."

'Make a move?' I thought aloud, suddenly cautious.

He was looking straight at me. "i figured you could use a hand getting outta here. and, uh, i apologise for the rush."

I almost wanted to laugh. _This guy, in a rush?_ He didn't seem like he was in a rush for anything – I almost wondered if he knew the meaning of the word. I bit my lip. "Look, I can find my own way out," I asserted. "I don't need your help."

Sans looked almost disappointed. "i'm only tryin' to look out for you, kid," he insisted, taking a step towards me. "you're in da-"

"I'm not a kid," I interrupted. "Don't call me that."

Sans stopped in his tracks, to my relief. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts. "i know a way out of here. a shortcut... back to the surface," he explained. "we can leave right now, if ya aren't too busy. whaddya say?" He paused once again, awaiting my response to this suggestion. He didn't have to wait long.

"oh boy. that look, though," he said, letting loose a hollow, rattling chuckle. "that tells me you probably aren't interested in my offer, huh?"

I said nothing. I just gave him the coldest stare I could muster. I like to think it was ten times scarier than the one I had tried on Flowey.

My hostility seemed to throw him off momentarily. "tough crowd," he mumbled, glancing off to one side. He seemed to be getting uncomfortable – this gave me a small amount of relief. _Maybe I'll be able to convince him to leave us alone_ , I hoped.

He threw his hands up in a manner signalling exasperation or defeat. "ok, i can tell the mood's gotten a little sour. so i'll make this quick," he conceded. He shoved his hands back in his pockets, his head slanted lazily off to the side. "that thing... it isn't what you think it is. it's a thief – a threat to humans and monsters alike." He spoke with a severe tone that clashed bizarrely with his laid-back appearance. "buddy, if i were you, i'd run a mile from that thing while ya still can. you really have no clue how much danger you're in.."

I could feel myself shuddering with rage at what he was saying. I'd never been so angry at anyone or anything in my life. I tried my best to stay composed, gritting my teeth furiously. He was trying to turn me against Flowey, for what reason I couldn't understand. He had no idea what Flowey had experienced all these years – what he'd gone through at the hands of those fiends. For this skeleton to appear like this and try to tear us apart while Flowey was still suffering – it was sickening to me.

Sans directed his gaze to the floor. He seemed to be at least partially aware of the distress he was causing me – but he didn't relent. "you might think you're pals – real good pals," he said sombrely. "but creatures like that... well... they aren't above turning against their friends."

I had heard enough. Even now I shudder when I think of the anger I felt at his words, what I felt deep inside. It was something I had not expected – something they'd tried to hammer into me since childhood, slowly resurfacing. "Liar!" I yelled. "You don't know anything about him!" I reached for the knife-like weapon in my pocket, a faint tingling sensation creeping over me as I gripped the clasp of the handle. I took a single step forward, preparing to break into a sprint towards him.

At that moment, everything froze as I was engulfed in a flash of light. I stopped, fixed in place. I was having another vision, just like the time in the Wishing Room. I saw a distant silhouette, gradually closing in towards me. Someone or something was slowly coming into view. Eventually, I made out the shadowy figure to be a skeleton. It was Sans. He was facing off to the side in a surprisingly aggressive pose that ran counter to his trademark grin. His right hand was outstretched, fingers hooked as if channelling some force. His left eye socket burned blue with a fiery vengeance. And there was something behind him, hovering in the space just above him. It was something straight out of a nightmare – something that made my jaw drop. It resembled the skull of some kind of animal, though it was of no species I recognised. Its skull and jaw were angled with pointed teeth akin to a predator but there was also an unreal, horrific quality to its appearance. A single look at it was enough to send shivers down my spine.

My vision then seemed to progress to a different scene with a bright flash. The flying monstrosity was gone. Sans lay sprawled out on the ground, the life gone from his eyes. His coat was ruffled and torn in places. He didn't move.

My vision concluded with another burst of light. I was back on the cliff-edge, facing Sans. I tried to regain my bearings but I couldn't keep the shock of what I had witnessed out of my expression. To my dread, Sans seemed to pick up on this immediately. "huh? that expression..." he gasped, suddenly alert. Before I knew it, his eyes were on me again. They bore into me, as if peering into the depths of my soul. _He's trying to read my thoughts!_ I instinctively realised.

I needed keep them hidden from him. _Flowey told me I can't let him know anything about myself!_ I recalled. Closing my eyes, I made every effort to clear my mind, to release my thoughts and feelings into the atmosphere where they wouldn't be found. I found this all to be surprisingly effortless, perhaps as a result of the turmoil that engulfed my mind – I found it easy to temporarily dispose of these thoughts that I lacked a certain attachment to. Before I knew it, my mind was a complete blank, like an emptied-out trashcan. It was just me standing there, engaged in a staring contest with a stupid-looking skeleton – and nothing to hide. I felt a smug little smile come to my face.

We exchanged looks for a while. Eventually, Sans released his steely gaze. Neither one of us moved. When he spoke, I caught a faint hint of something different in his voice. "huh. has anyone ever told ya you're a tough one to read?" he observed. It was phrased almost as a complement though I could sense his geniality masked something else – frustration?

I remained defiant. "Maybe I don't want to be read," I answered stoically.

Sans shrugged, still wearing that goofy smile. Something about me had bothered him, but I couldn't tell what. He no longer seemed the least bit bothered by my aggression. There was a moment of silence as he seemed to be contemplating his next move.

"fair enough," he finally conceded. "guess you like to do things the hard way, huh?"

I felt a chill. Did I imagine that? It didn't seem like he'd said it as a threat. And yet there was something hanging in the air. The wind had picked up. I was suddenly wary of how close I was standing to the precipice of the cliff. I had my back turned to the ledge, the breeze tickling the back of my neck. The mental image of the sharp rocks at the bottom of the ravine filled my mind at once. I started to wonder if my aggressive approach might have been slightly overconfident.

Sans was looking at me again. "let me ask you something," he started, holding his hands out in front of him. "do ya ever get the feelin' that something ain't right? like time has hit a snag and you're stuck tryin' to pick up the pieces?"

He spoke those words as if he was divulging something deeply personal to him – something he wasn't willing to share with anyone else. I had no idea what he was getting at. "I don't understand. You're talking nonsense," I insisted, though not without a touch of uncertainty. _Just what does he mean?_ I deliberated.

Sans looked at me. We were both silent. The way his eyes searched me for any tells was almost forensic. I had no idea what he'd wanted me to say. Frankly, I didn't care. Everything about his manner was making my blood boil.

"alright, here's the deal: you haven't got much further to go. and the barrier's gone. it's still possible for you to get home that way," he explained. "but i have to wonder… is that really what you want?"

"I _want_ you to go away," I growled back at him angrily. I was losing my patience with this tiresome bag of bones.

Sans didn't move. He didn't so much as blink. "alright. sharp and to the point," he remarked, as he slowly lowered his gaze to a space located somewhere near my feet. He kept his eyes fixed on that spot, not saying anything.

It took me a moment to realise what he was looking at. I stifled a gasp. His eyes were focused on the pocket of my shorts, the pocket where I carried the knife-like piece of the hiking pole. The blade and handle were pressing up against the inside of the leg, creating a faint impression of the weapon in the fabric. Without wanting to draw attention to it, I quickly ran the back of my hand over the patch to smooth it out. It was hopeless. Sans caught the movement straight away. He looked up at me, his eyes full of suspicion. My hand trembled. _Does he realise I'm armed?_ I wondered with a gulp.

"i don't know what you were told, but i'm not after that flower," he spoke slowly, seemingly unperturbed. "it ain't harmin' anyone, so long as it stays down here."

 _That's got to be a bluff_ , I reaffirmed to myself. _He can't be here for me – he has no idea who I am!_

I could see the fur lining of his jacket blowing in the wind. "that said, the flower seems... attached to you," Sans continued. "it's kinda impressive, to tell ya the truth." His expression suddenly darkened. "but if you end up leading that thing to the surface, you'll endanger everything that they've worked for," he said. There was a fearsome quality to his tone – something cold and unfeeling. "and i can't allow that."

I felt myself shiver slightly at his words. It was humiliating. _Coward!_ I berated myself. _You can't let him intimidate you! He's just-_ My mind ran dry. Despite my best efforts, I found I couldn't complete that thought. There was some interference in my thought patterns, like the static of a radio. I was unable to think straight. It was all I could do to keep my eyes focused on the skeleton in front of me. The wind was howling in my ears, buffeting me like a gale.

"i hope you make it home – i really do," Sans said, strangely sympathetic in tone. "i get the feeling that, deep down, you're just a little confused."

The anger I felt at this remark was swiftly replaced, squashed by an insidious fear. I suddenly felt like I was struggling to breathe. _Where is this fear coming from?_ I panicked. I was well-acquainted with what it meant to be afraid, but this didn't feel like 'my own fear' at all. This was entirely different – a different breed of fear, pumped into me from some external force. It was impossible to describe – completely alien to me.

All the while, Sans' expression was implacable. He slowly lowered his gaze to the floor, deliberately obscuring his eyes from my view. I watched in terror as long shadows began to crawl across the white surface of his skull. "just make sure the flower doesn't follow you home," he uttered. "otherwise..."

He looked up at me. His eyes had receded into the depths of his skull, leaving two empty sockets filled with nothingness. I felt my pulse stop, my eyes widening as they drank in the terror.

"...Things are gonna get ugly."

He kept me locked in place with this punishing gaze for I know not how long. I couldn't move a muscle.

Then, without warning, he quickly yielded. The whites of his pupils returned to his sockets as he turned slowly away from me. "well, good luck. i'll see ya around," Sans said nonchalantly, giving another lazy little wave. He took a few steps towards the spot from which he'd appeared. The very moment I blinked, he was gone. I was alone again. I felt the wind slowly subside.

I gasped for breath. I felt cold all over. Breaking out in shivers, I turned and ran back as fast as I could to where I hoped Flowey was still resting.


	17. Chapter 17 - Hotland Hospitality

I rushed back across the wooden bridges to the area filled with flowers, my chest heaving as I gasped for breath. The chills were getting steadily worse. Steering off the path, I stumbled up the slope through the foliage and over the ledge where I had left Flowey. All the time, I was praying that he was safe, that no-one had managed to find him – that I wouldn't be left down here on my own.

I got to the top of the ledge, looking down at the spot where we had stopped. I was beside myself with relief. Flowey was still there, sleeping away as if nothing had happened. I trod carefully through the undergrowth towards him. He was slightly slumped over, still in the guise of a regular flower. I sat down next to him with a soft thud, quickly curling up into a ball to try to keep warm. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, not after that experience. But the cold feeling inside me was already beginning to subside.

As I willed the time away, I reflected on my encounter with Sans. I hadn't anticipated encountering such a threatening individual. There was definitely something strange about him – aside from being a living skeleton, of course. Something fearsomely powerful. I thought about the vision I'd witnessed and the horrifying skull-like thing that had appeared by his side. _Just what sort of forces does he command?_ I wondered. It was clear to me why Flowey had been so fearful of him. The forces that he seemed capable of wielding were beyond my wildest imagination. Even with this new-found power that I was beginning to come to terms with, I knew there was no chance I could stand against Sans in a fight.

 _But I almost attacked_ _ **him**_ , I recalled with dread, suddenly remembering how I'd wanted to lunge at him with my dagger-like weapon. _I got a little too angry again…_ I reflected with a sense of embarrassment.

I shook my head grimly. That was a clear understatement. I'd nearly lost my mind at that moment – driven forward by a wild anger. I found myself unable to make sense of these bouts of aggression, agonizing constantly over the cause of my sudden, uncontrollable changes in temperament. It was completely unlike me. I'd never acted so aggressive when I was back home on the Surface – at least, not intentionally. I was quiet, reclusive, a 'weakling' – that's all I ever was.

And despite my almost relentless aggression, Sans had chosen to exercise restraint on me. It was almost as if he'd wanted to avoid hurting me, but I knew better than to put faith in such a notion. _He still wants to do Flowey harm_ , I told myself over and over. _I'm certain of it._ I decided then and there that I would not trust anything he'd said to me in our confrontation.

I continued to keep watch as Flowey went on sleeping, silently willing my own heavy eyelids to stay open. The echoes of the flowing water continued to drift undisturbed through the caves.

It was a good while before Flowey eventually woke up. It looked like his sleep had done him some measure of good. He seemed perky and refreshed, and he was even showing signs of recovery. Small flecks of gold were beginning to return to his burnt petals and the black patches that dotted his face were beginning to clear. To my surprise, his leaves had already completely regrown, though they appeared drained of colour from their original bright green.

"You're looking a lot better already!" I said, sharing my observation with some nervous excitement. "I didn't expect you to improve so quickly."

Flowey glanced up at me incredulously. "I'm a plant, dummy!" he answered jokingly. "Of course I can regrow – given time." He set about cleaning himself, using his leaves to brush off some traces of ash from his stem.

I was still feeling shaky after my encounter with Sans but I did my best to disguise it from Flowey. I had already decided I wasn't going to tell him about it. To reveal to him that I had encountered Sans would be a confirmation of his fears – that was the last thing he needed right now. _At least that skeletal creep seems to be willing to keep his distance… for now,_ I considered. _Still, we should get away from here as soon as possible – just in case he changes his mind._

I shook off the leaves that covered my legs and stood up, keen to press on. I was about to make my way back down to the path when I heard a small noise "Ah…" from behind me. I turned to see Flowey – he didn't seem to want to move. He was wearing a timid, piteous expression, his leaves clasped together in a grovelling pose. "S-Sorry, pal," he said weakly, "I don't think I'm ready to go on just yet."

This surprised me. _Didn't he just say he was getting better?_ I pondered. Though parts of him remained blackened from burn damage, he hadn't seemed out of sorts. He'd also managed to travel some distance in a worse state than this.

I decided it was most likely a simple misjudgement on my part. "That's ok, we can stay here for a while longer," I offered.

But Flowey seemed to reject this idea out-of-hand. "No, you need to go on," he said, shaking his head insistently. "I'd just slow you down in this state. I can catch up with ya when I'm feeling better."

I didn't like the sound of this at all. "If you're too hurt to move, I'm not sure you should stay behind by yourself," I objected out of a mix of concern and scepticism. Just why _was_ he so eager to stay behind?

Flowey narrowed his eyes at me. I mistook it for a look of scorn, before realising that he was studying my face. "Your eyes are red," he observed. "You haven't had any sleep, have you? You must be shattered!"

I couldn't deny it – I was starting to feel very sleep-deprived. My body was practically begging for sleep, my limbs heavy and aching. My thoughts were becoming more and more muddled in my lethargy.

"Tell ya what: there's a place up ahead where you can rest," Flowey continued. His looks changed to one of uncertainty. "At least there _was_. I haven't checked in a while – I tend to steer clear of that whole area as much as possible."

"Why?" I asked, immediately curious.

I saw a ghost of a grin appear on his face. "That, my friend, will be clear as soon as you get there!" he replied with a menacing giggle. I found his sudden shift to dark humour quite ominous. "Just make sure you keep your wits about ya. That place ain't as stable as it used to be," he went on. "Think of it as… a test. A test of your strength!"

I looked at him in disbelief. What on Earth was he talking about? Was this really the time for such a 'test'? And how was this supposed to help me get home? Despite my many doubts, I had a strong suspicion that I would need to play along with his plan. I already knew Flowey wasn't the sort to let go of an idea, no matter how ill-advised or dangerous it was.

Flowey dismissed my muddled objections with a wave of a leaf. "Look, just come closer, ok?" he beckoned. "I'll tell ya exactly what you need to do…."

* * *

A short while later, I reached the area where I had encountered Sans. I struck out down the path through the gaping rock formation on my own. In accordance with Flowey's wishes, I'd left him behind in the glen with the rest of the flowers. I trusted he knew what he was doing.

In a sense, part of me was relieved by his suggestion that I should go on alone. Though I was loath to leave him behind, I was desperately keen to keep moving forward. Sans had told me that I was getting close to the way back to the surface, the place where the Barrier that'd sealed the Underground off from the Surface had once been. It didn't matter if he was telling the truth or not: his words had continually circled in my mind ever since he'd uttered them, driving me to reckless abandon. Deep within me, I was beginning to suspect that he was right.

I followed the long path out of the caves closely as it looped around. As I walked, I recalled what Flowey had told me. The place I was tasked to find was a hotel located towards the highest point of the Underground. 'There should be a lift that could take you straight there', he'd said. It seemed like a strange but straight-forward request. As I began to reach the cave end, however, I could feel the air around me getting steadily hotter. What greeted me at the mouth of the cave was something I hadn't expected. The narrow cave opened up into a huge wide-open area made up of twisting, rocky platforms and tall, jagged cliffs. I could see a number of large buildings and long-abandoned machines in the distance.

Flowey's words were beginning to make more sense – it was immediately clear to me why he'd wanted to avoid this place. The place was extremely hot, almost unbearably so. I could imagine why he wouldn't want to come near a place that reminded him of heat, or fire.

I took a few steps forward and stopped. I noticed that I could feel the ground shifting slightly under my feet. Looking up, I noticed _s_ trange wisps of orange drifting up from the chasm surrounding us. It took me a moment to realise that they were embers. Tentatively, I peered over the edge of the platform. I gulped, wide-eyed. Far below me was a sea of molten lava, licking the edges of the glowing rocks that were suspending the platforms. I quickly drew myself back from the edge, suddenly feeling very nervous. Flowey's warnings were starting to make an awful lot of sense. _Just how stable is this place?_ I fretted. _And there's supposed to be a hotel here?_ _A hotel, in a place like this?!_

I decided to play a quick game in an attempt to distract myself. I remembered the challenge I'd set myself back in Waterfall – the goal being to try and guess the name of this new area. Based solely off the place-names I'd encountered so far, I was confident I could get it close. As I walked along the path through the sweltering heat, I rattled off a few ideas. _Lavaland? Firefield? Hotworld?_ Truth be told, I never found out the real name of that place – but I'm sure I wasn't far off the mark with my guesses.

Before long, I arrived in a central area where the path branched. Straight ahead of me, there stood a tall, white building. It was a laboratory of some sorts – Flowey had told me about it before I'd headed out. His mention of it had immediately piqued my curiousity. I thought back to the scientific journal I'd discovered in Snowdin, written by the Royal Scientist Alphys. Was it possible that what lay in front of me was this individual's own personal laboratory?

Flowey had warned me to stay away from it. He said that it was no longer in good shape following some 'disturbances' and that it would distract me from the route I needed to follow. I immediately began to imagine what kinds of amazing things I could find in there, given what I had read about monster technology in the journal. The prospect of investigating the place was tantalizing. But, in the end, I'd begrudgingly agreed with Flowey: now was not the time to stray from the path.

Instead, I looked to my left, down the path that I was told to follow. A giant metal, tube-like structure stood tall at the far end, stretching all the way up into the sky. I knew this to be the elevator that I was looking for. The name 'L1' was embossed in big letters above the sliding doors. I took a few steps in this direction before coming to a halt. I wiped away the beads of sweat gathering on my brow. The heat of the place was stifling. Was it really a good idea to trap myself in a giant metal tube in this kind of heat? I looked back at the laboratory with an aching curiosity. _Maybe I could sneak a peek in there, just for a little while?_ I plotted _._ _Flowey wouldn't need to kn-_

My thoughts were interrupted at that moment. My ears were drawn to a thunderous, grinding, metallic sound that rang out from somewhere far off in the distance. It wasn't the elevator, that much I knew – it was something much, much larger. Then, without warning, the ground underneath me suddenly heaved with an almighty rumble. I was almost thrown from my feet as I desperately tried to steady myself. I could hear the lava churning furiously below me, crashing against the rocks with a hiss. _An earthquake?!_

I stayed low to the ground, hanging on to the rocks for dear life. After a moment, I clambered back up to my feet. I was able to stabilize myself against the shaking, my legs wobbling like jelly. The quakes had grown weaker momentarily, though they showed no signs of stopping altogether. Everything was swaying back and forth. It was clearly too dangerous to stay out in the open – I needed to get to safety as quickly as possible. I stumbled forward towards the lift, careful to keep away from the ledges of the path.

As I got halfway across the path, the quakes intensified once more. Everything shook violently as the ground beneath my feet cracked and gave way. I had next to no time to react. With a desperate yelp, I threw myself forward and away from the crumbling rock. The breath was forced from my lungs as I hit the solid ledge, my legs left dangling over the sheer drop. I heard the chunks of rock as they fell into the surging lava below. Still panting, I quickly hauled myself up from the ledge. Once up, I broke into a panicked sprint towards the elevator. The roiling flow of the lava was throwing more embers and smoke up into the air, turning the atmosphere a hazy orange.

Charging wildly through the haze, I reached the metal doors of the elevator. I punched the button marked 'Up' on the side-panel and jumped in as soon as the doors were open. Once in, I fell to the ground, my lungs straining to take in as much oxygen as possible. I heard a soft 'click' as the doors quickly slid shut behind me.

It was much quieter in the sealed elevator, though I could still hear the angry sounds of the magma flows coming from outside. To my relief, the lift was incredibly sturdy and seemed to resist the tremors. It was also far cooler in here – pleasantly so. I looked around, puzzled. _Air-conditioning_ , I suddenly realised. _What a nice surprise_.

I picked myself up, dusting myself off and wiping the sweat away from my eyes. I became aware of a sturdy-looking metal console in front of me, presumably for operating the elevator. After a moment's consideration, I approached it and pressed the button marked 'Right Floor 3'. It was the button Flowey had instructed me to push – I just hoped it would take me where I needed to go.

I waited patiently as the mechanical hum of the elevator filled the air. I was being carried far away from the sounds of the lava and the seismic rumbling. After a short while, the doors of the lift swung open. I stepped out, following the path around to a set of stairs leading to the top of a hill. _This must be the place I'm looking for_ , I thought. The air was cooler here, though still uncomfortable.

As I ascended the stairs, a tall building gradually came into view. To my amazement, Flowey had told the truth. The building indeed appeared to be some kind of hotel, as crazy as it seemed to me at the time. But as I approached the building, it became apparent that something was terribly wrong. I felt my heart sink. _Uh oh._

The building had practically fallen apart – it was an absolute wreck. From the outside, the glass windows were smashed to bits, glass fragments scattered all over the ground. Part of what appeared to be an entrance sign lay hanging on its side above the doorway. The plants outside the entrance had been ripped out of their pots and scattered.

I gulped as I walked through the front doors that had been left wide open. _This is where I'm staying for tonight?_ I wondered.

I arrived in the derelict remains of what was once the hotel lobby. I circled the room, gasping in shock at what I found. The place was in complete disarray. The walls were practically falling to pieces, as if they'd been struck again and again by giant sledgehammers. Huge piles of debris lay scattered across the ground. The tiles of the floor were cracked and broken, the red carpet torn up and slashed to ribbons. A marble statue in the centre of the room had been smashed, broken chunks of marble lay floating in the shallow pool of water that, I imagine, once formed a fountain.

As I stood aghast at the pitiful state of the place, I sensed something give way within me unexpectedly. Standing there, I felt a single tear slide down my face. Before I knew it, I was on my knees, hunched over. I cried uncontrollably, my tears landing with a splash on the broken tiles on the floor.

I know it sounds stupid – crying over some crummy-looking hotel. To be truthful, in that strange moment of self-awareness, I almost feel I could have laughed. But I simply couldn't control myself. My escape from a fiery death, the physical exhaustion and the weight of all the events that had led up to this point – I think it all hit me at once. I had no energy left to stop the tears as they fell, one by one.

Nevertheless, there really was something terribly sad about the place. Whatever identity it had once maintained had been stolen or smashed to bits. The entire building was stripped of its character: a worn-down husk. It stood as an embodiment of what I feared the Underground was doomed to become – a place left abandoned and decaying, like carrion for the vultures circling above. A civilization falling to pieces and uninhabited, save for a single, solidary, little flower.

I felt a sudden change inside me. Like the flick of a switch, my sorrow turned to fiery anger. _Those thieves... Humans. They're the ones responsible for this,_ I seethed. Reaching towards the ground, I clutched some of the cracked tiles from the floor with both hands. I gripped them tightly – I wanted to crush them into dust.

 _Why do they do what they do?_ I brooded. _Why show such disrespect? Is it really human nature to smash and burn and tear? To oppress and maim and kill? If this is all we are capable of, is there any point at all?_

I was apoplectic with rage, filled with a disgust that threatened to seep into my very soul. I screwed my eyes tight shut. _I need to put an end to this,_ I vowed. _When I get back, I'll stop them for good. Stop them dea-_

Something inside me snapped, causing me to break away from my thoughts. I opened my eyes and looked at the tiles I held in my hands. They were beginning to cut into my palms. If I grasped them any tighter, my hands would likely bleed. I let them go, allowing them fall to the floor with a sharp clatter.

I took a deep breath as I felt the anger slowly subside. I was too tired to cry anymore. I wiped my eyes on my sleeve. Without Flowey by my side, I felt painfully lonely. I got to my feet. Standing there alone amongst the wreckage that was once the lobby, I found myself desperately praying, waiting for Flowey to return.

It was a dreadfully long time before he returned – at least, it felt that way to me. He did return, however, popping up out of the ground near the entrance of the ruined lobby. He seemed surprised to see me. "Oh, you're still up!" he remarked somewhat awkwardly. "Figured you'd want to go to bed as soon as ya got here. Hope ya didn't have too much trouble getting he-"

He stopped, suddenly noticing the state the old hotel was in. "J-Jeez Louise! What did they DO to this place?" Flowey exclaimed in disbelief. He spun around in a full circle, surveying the damage. "This is amazing! I didn't think it possible that this place could get any more **tacky**!" he said with a wry laugh.

He seemed to take note of my silence. He glanced over at me and I saw his good-humoured smile quickly fade. "What's the matter?" he asked me, seemingly concerned. "You look sad."

I sniffed, rubbing my eyes. "We're almost there, aren't we Flowey?" I said.

He reacted with surprise to my question, as if it could have been the furthest thing from his mind. He paused, unsure what to say, before giving a slow nod. "Yeah… you got it," he said quietly. "Not much further to go from here…." He looked away from me, unable to meet my eyes. "Is there somewhere for you to rest?" he asked in an attempt to change the subject.

I gave a small nod. While I was waiting for him, in my impatience, I'd taken the liberty of exploring the entire building. "One of the rooms upstairs is still intact. I can try and get some sleep up there."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Flowey still wasn't looking at me. I wasn't even sure he'd heard what I said – his mind was elsewhere. "Hey… if you don't mind me askin'…" he started uneasily. "I know you said you wanted to get home. I get that, but…" He hesitated for a moment, his voice wavering as he fidgeted absent-mindedly with his leaves. "Have you ever thought you might… change your mind?"

I said nothing. I'd always known that it would come to this. That, eventually, the time would come that we would need to part ways. As we'd travelled through the Underground together, I'd fully expected that I could come up with something to say to him by the time I reached this point. Something that would explain why my departure was necessary – why he needed to go back to being alone. Something that might set his mind at ease. Something to soften the blow. But now, I couldn't think of a single thing to say. Words had forsaken me.

"What if you were to remember something and…" Flowey mumbled half to himself. I looked up at him. He stopped himself short. "Forget it," he said. "I'm just rambling."

He looked up at me, suddenly disgruntled. "For cryin' out loud, get some rest already!" he scolded me. "Your eyes are as red as coals!"

I knew there was nothing I could do. There was only one thing I felt I could say with any sense of certainty. "Good night, Flowey." With a heavy heart, I turned away from him. With the hotel lift out of order, I trudged up the stairs leading to the rooms.


	18. Chapter 18 - Reflections

Dear Diary,

This is it: the final stop before we reach the site where the Barrier once stood – my way back to the surface. I'm feeling restless just thinking about how close we are now.

I don't expect I'll sleep. It doesn't matter – I'm almost out of here. I guess that also means this is my my last entry.

Flowey…. What's going to happen to him? Is he really planning to stay down here all by himself?

This wasn't what I wanted. I feel foolish for having made that promise to him. We both knew how this was going to end.

I don't want to leave him here, all alone – I can't stand the thought. And yet, I know he'll refuse if I offer to take him with me. I can tell he still believes he isn't ready for the surface.

Sometimes I find myself feeling the same way.

I know I need to go back. Mom is in danger. But something doesn't feel right.

I feel like I'm being followed. Even when it's just been me and Flowey, I've felt as if there's something else – something hiding in my shadow, out of sight. I can feel it now, looking over my shoulder as I write this.

I don't like it. I think I might be losing my mind.

I don't know if it's safe for me to go back while I feel like this.

I'm scared.

My thoughts are full of darkness. I think something terrible is about to happen.

But I'm not going to stop. We've come too far to just turn around. Everything is dark for now, but I'm certain there is light at the end of this tunnel. I just need to keep moving forward.

I'm coming home, Mom. I can only pray I'm not too late.

* * *

I woke up, emerging from a deep and dreamless sleep. I sat up in bed, still drowsy but nevertheless surprised. Though a certain fogginess still occupied my mind, I was feeling a lot better. After my prolonged bout of insomnia, I was amazed that I had been able to sleep at all. I began to wonder exactly how long I'd been out.

The hotel room was tiny – a poky little space tucked away at the end of the hallway. The room was just big enough to fit a bed and the large mirror that hung on the far wall. There was a single nail that'd been hammered into the wall to my left. The painting that had once hung from it was conspicuously missing, likely taken in one of the raids. But that was the only mark this room bore of the plundering of the hotel.

The details of the tiny room were all as I remembered them, but something was different. In an instant, I realised what it was: my diary was missing. I felt around for it on the bed with my fingers, hoping that I might have left it under the bedsheets. It wasn't there either. I got out of bed, scrambling around as I searched frantically for the missing diary. Kneeling down, I breathed a sigh of relief as I quickly found it lying on the floor by the side of the bed. It was open on my most recent entry, the pages fanned out. The photograph of me and Mom with the golden flowers in our hair lay off to the side. I hastily tucked the picture back inside the pages and closed it shut. I suspected it had fallen off the bed once I'd finished my entry. After all, I had practically fallen asleep the moment my head had hit the pillow. _Reminder to myself: don't be so careless._

I stopped. In my alarm over the diary, something else had escaped my attention – something deeply unsettling. The whole of my left arm, my bad arm, was aching and half-numb. I started to panic as I thought about what it might mean. _I'm in serious trouble if those wounds are infected,_ I realised with dread. I hadn't packed any sort of medical disinfectant and had no way of acquiring anything that might combat an infection in a hurry.

I rolled up the sleeve half-way to check the bandages on my forearm, fearing the worst. However, to my surprise, there were no signs of infection on the surrounding skin. The bandages themselves were clean, though they seemed to have loosened during my sleep. I breathed a sigh of relief. But despite no signs of infection, my arm was still painful. _Strange_ , I pondered as I tightened up the bandages. _Perhaps I slept on it during the night._

I stood in front of the mirror and examined my reflection closely. I looked scruffy, my skin pale. Dark shadows had formed under my eyes despite my sleep. I ran a hand through my bed hair in a token effort to make myself look presentable – though, of course, that was the furthest thing from my mind. I looked a lot skinnier too. _I haven't eaten anything since I got here_ , I quickly realised. It hadn't bothered me until now and it was unlikely I'd find food in a place that'd been abandoned for years. I tried to put it out of my mind, turning away from my reflection.

I left the room, shutting the door behind me and quietly descending the stairs of the hotel. Flowey was waiting for me in the remains of the lobby. He gave me a polite but unenthusiastic greeting. He gave no outward indication of how long he'd waited for me to awaken but I suspected it had been some time.

My eyes shifted to the far end of the lobby – a wide glass door, partially smashed up, with a large neon sign above it labelled 'CORE'. I turned back to Flowey. I could tell we were both ready for what I knew to be the final leg of our journey. Without saying a thing, we set out.

The hotel, it turns out, acted as a gateway of sorts, linking itself to a tall, steel structure on the other side of a vast chasm. It was a massive, technological monolith that exuded a faint blue light. We quickly made our way across the long bridge, the whooshing sound of the wind filling my ears. Reaching the other side, we were bathed in the fluorescent blue of the neon lighting as we stepped through the entrance to the machine.

I looked around in wonderment at the feat of technology that surrounded us. The science journal from the library had mentioned this place – the CORE. This was how the monsters had harnessed the geothermal energy they'd uncovered deep underground. I couldn't help but marvel at what an incredible piece of machinery it was. But my speculation on the history of this place only went so far, my admiration muted. For now, it was just another obstacle in the way of where I needed to be.

Flowey was acting differently from his usual self. He had become taciturn and withdrawn, and was lacking his usual gusto. He didn't say a single word to me. I could guess what he was probably thinking about. _It's probably best to let him keep to himself for now_ , I considered.

I could feel a slight trembling under my feet. The air was filled with a faint humming noise of the engines that powered the structure. The grinding, metallic sounds of the machinery reverberated down the long hallways that made up the interior of this contraption. At regular intervals, these noises would intensify harshly, accompanied by more powerful tremors. _This machine must be what caused the earthquakes in the fiery place I passed through_ , I considered. Thankfully, the tremors here were nowhere near as bad as what I'd encountered in that place. Nevertheless, I was still concerned. This gigantic contraption, long abandoned and unattended to, was slowly malfunctioning – gradually falling into disrepair.

Flowey finally spoke up, breaking his stretch of total silence. "I'm curious to know what'll happen when this hunk o' junk finally gives out," he said, echoing my thoughts. He was grinning fiendishly. "I'm hoping it explodes!" he snickered with devilish glee. "A real big blast that leaves a smoking crater in the side of the mountain!"

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," I replied with some alarm. The idea that we might be wandering through the metal innards of a ticking time-bomb was not a pleasant one. "If this machine is that dangerous, shouldn't they send someone down here to fix it?" I suggested.

Flowey's smile faded. "They don't care. Why should they?" he huffed, directing his gaze to the ceiling. "No-one lives here anymore. They're all caught up in what they have up _there_."

I quickly dropped the subject. I knew that neither of us wanted to broach the topic of the surface world, and what it meant for each of us. And so we were both silent once more, gradually making our way through the expansive, winding corridors of the CORE. The whole time, I continued to inhabit a hazy state of mind despite my rest. I struggle to remember the details of the path we took and what we saw. I was solely focused on finding the way out, but those hallways seemed to stretch on forever. It was yet another time I was grateful that I had Flowey showing me the way.

Eventually, we reached the vestibule leading out of the CORE. The shaking was much less noticeable here. Flowey, who had taken the lead, stopped suddenly and turned to face me. "We're close now. Very close," he said. He had stopped by a single door at the end of the hall that led outside. Peering through the door, I could make out a paved stone floor with grey brick walls. It stood in stark contrast to the glaring lights and high-tech architecture of the CORE.

"You've come a long way," Flowey spoke in reminiscent tones, drawing my attention back to him. "When I first found you in the Ruins, I wasn't sure what to make of you. You were so timid and frightful all the time." He looked away, trying to stop himself from smirking. "A total pansy, if I'm being honest."

I frowned. _This, coming from the flower,_ I thought to myself.

He looked at me, recomposing himself. "But you've grown stronger in such a short time – much stronger!" he continued. His smile was filled with hope. "I can see the change in you. You're doing great – you really are!"

"Thanks?" I offered with surprise. I wasn't sure what I'd done to warrant these lavish compliments from him. I suspected this whole journey had made me more resilient in a sense, but this whole spiel of his was a distinctly puzzling experience to me.

Flowey gave a nervous little laugh, possibly conscious of how he sounded. "Well, I think I'm going to sit this one out for now," he announced abruptly. "I reckon you could probably use some time on your own before you reach the end. It'd give you a chance to reflect on things.…" I was about to utter a protest but Flowey seemed to anticipate it. "Don't worry! It's straight-forward from here, I promise," he reassured me. It was just barely enough to placate me. "I'll be waiting for you at the end. Just don't keep me waiting too long, y'here?" Flashing me a quick wink, he sunk into the ground and was gone.

I blinked, still confused at why he had decided to leave so suddenly. Part of me had to wonder if his sporadic departures were for my benefit, or his. _It hardly matters either way_ , I eventually decided. _There's still ground left to cover_.

I stepped through the door leading out of the CORE. Turning a sharp bend around the brick wall I had spied, I immediately stumbled across a sight that took my breath away. I was stood on a raised platform, a skybridge of sorts. Below me, a sprawling cityscape stretched out into the distance. I ran up to the edge of the path to get a better view.

I had never known that the monsters had built a fully-fledged city underneath the mountain – not even Mom had told me about this. I was dazzled by the size and scale of it. I quietly wondered what this place would have been like when it was once inhabited, imagining the monsters living together and going about their daily business. Of course, that time had been and gone. The buildings were a mass of muted grey brick, the streets below were dusty and forgotten. The city resembled an old, partially faded photograph of an age long past. The absence of life gave it a haunting quality that made me slightly uncomfortable.

My eyes continued to drink in the sights of the abandoned city as I followed the raised path. It led away from the hub of the city, the scatterings of buildings growing thinner. I approached an enclosed area, tall walls splitting it off from the city. I stepped into a strangely familiar courtyard. Towards the rear of the courtyard stood a homely-looking building made of grey brick. I recognised it immediately. _This is the house we passed through in the Ruins!_ I exclaimed. _Or… is it?_ The house and courtyard appeared to be an exact replica, minus the old tree in the centre that we had both sat underneath. I scratched my head, unable to understand why these two identical places would exist at opposite ends of the Underground.

I paused as a thought came to mind. _Perhaps this is why Flowey chose to disappear just now,_ I finally grasped. He had refused to enter that same house in the Ruins, for reasons I couldn't know. _Despite everything, there's still a lot I don't know about him_. _Or the Underground, for that matter,_ I reflected sombrely. _Perhaps it's because I'm human._

I stepped inside the old house. Sure enough, the interior was exactly the same as in the Ruins. The stairwell to the basement lay before me, a rusted metal chain hanging from the banister. Wanting to waste no time, I headed straight down the stairs.

As I followed the familiar path running underneath the house, I cast my mind back and tried to remember the details of the house in the Ruins. I recalled the tidy-looking living room with its bookshelves and ornate stone fireplace. There had also been a kitchen and fridge in the house in the Ruins – though there was nothing edible, as I had expected, despite Flowey's claims to the contrary.

Thinking about food caused my hunger to return in an instant. Strangely, I remember experiencing a sudden, intense craving for chocolate. It's one of the weirdest things I can recall – something I can't explain, even now. I had never liked chocolate growing up – it would often give me stomach cramps and even made me ill on a couple of occasions. But the craving I experienced at that moment was fierce and animalistic. I wanted to drag myself back to the identical house – there was bound to be a fridge there too. But I defied this strange impulse, doing everything I could to suppress this urge and block out any thoughts of food from my mind. _There will be time to eat once I am free and Mom is safe_ , I reassured myself.

Unlike the Ruins, there was no door at the end of the basement. Instead, the trail led straight outside, returning me to the raised path and providing me with another view of the cityscape. Something told me I was getting close to where Flowey was waiting. I rushed down the path with anticipation, turning a doorway at the end of the path.

I froze. I was standing in a large cathedral, a long chamber with intricately tiled floors. The air here was perfectly still. Even in a place as completely desolate as the Underground, there was a tangible calmness to the silence here – a certain serenity that this place conveyed. Sculpted pillars framed a long row of stained glass windows, the light from outside filtering in through them. They were beautiful. As I walked through what I imagined to be the aisle, I noticed that each window depicted the same pattern – an angel suspended above three triangles. It was a curious pattern – one I recalled having seen in multiple places across the Underground. I suspected it to be a royal emblem, though I couldn't divine its meaning or significance.

Staring at the painted windows, I suddenly became acutely aware of the weapon in my pocket – the knife-like piece of the hiking pole. I removed it from my pocket and held it out in front of me, studying it closely. I squinted, suddenly troubled. The bladed point seemed longer than I remembered it... somehow. _Is it just my imagination?_ I wondered with a hint of nervousness. It felt wrong, wholly wrong, to be carrying such a weapon in a place like this.

I thought back to when it had first materialized, lying on the ground amidst the debris in Waterfall. It was but a piece of the original hiking pole that'd shattered in our battle with those human bandits, broken and reborn out of conflict. At the time, I'd decided to take it with me just in case we encountered trouble. Thinking back, I started to wonder if my decision was justified. After all, this place was largely empty. The only person that might have posed a threat to us was Sans. _Even then, I would have gained nothing from attacking him_ , I reflected with an unsettled grimace. The fact I'd almost attacked him anyway out of pure anger made me feel sick.

I came to the decision that I had no use for such a weapon. _Carrying something like this around with me will only lead to trouble_ , I told myself. I knew it would be a weight off my mind if I left it here – it was a burden I desperately wanted to shed. I knew what I had to do. Kneeling low to the ground, I held the broken hiking pole flat in my hands, preparing to lay it down on the stone tiles of the cathedral floor.

I stopped. My hands hovered a few inches off the floor, trembling slightly. A hail of doubts rained down on my mind. Some small part of me was urging me to abandon this course of action. Keep the weapon, it said, the idea personified and alive in my mind. It would be a mistake to leave yourself defenceless at this crucial time.

I hesitated, biting my lip sharply. My eyes stayed fixed on the weapon in my hands. Before I knew it, I found myself falling into begrudging compliance with the living thought. _I shouldn't take risks, not now that I'm so close to my goal_ , I thought in agreement. I stood up, placing the jagged piece of the hiking pole back in my pocket. _I'm not out yet_.

I discovered an exit to the rear of the Cathedral, mistaking it at first for a vestry. Outside, I followed the path up to another looming doorway. As I approached, I felt a faint, tingling sensation of recollection. _This is it_ , I finally understood as I walked on through. _I'm almost out of here._

Stepping inside, I entered a grand-looking room with a large stained glass window, the same as those I had seen in the Cathedral. The sides of the room were lined with alcoves. I realised I was standing in what had once been the old Throne Room. The centre of the room was filled with golden flowers, the same I'd seen in the Ruins and Waterfall, to the point where the room more closely resembled a garden than a throne room. They were clustered around an empty spot in the middle where I imagine the throne would have once been. _Of course, Flowey already moved it away from here to keep it safe_ , I remembered.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something concealed under one of the side alcoves. A large object covered by a plain white sheet, hidden away in the shadow of the curved recess. It appeared to be a seat, or a throne, roughly the same, enlarged proportions as the one Flowey had shown me in the Ruins. _This is the spare throne Flowey had mentioned when I asked him about Asgore,_ I remembered. This was going to be my throne, if I'd chosen to stay.

My gaze fell to the floor, a certain heaviness in my heart. _I'm sorry, Flowey_ , I thought to myself with deep regret. _I wish things could have worked out differently between us. Perhaps if the circumstances had been different…._

I looked up, examining the shrouded throne more closely. There was something propped up against it – an extra detail I hadn't noticed at first. A long, stick-like object was resting against the white sheet, almost completely concealed under the curve of the alcove. From a distance, I could see there was something oddly familiar about it. I walked over to the alcove to get a better look. On closer inspection, I identified it as a weapon – a trident, reddish in hue and gigantically large, even when matched against the throne which was huge in its own right. The small, ornate flower pattern below the forked head instantly revived my memory.

 _This is the weapon that Aldous was holding!_ I realised with a gasp. _He must have stolen it from here before we encountered him in Waterfall_. But if he'd already been and gone, why was it still here? The trident was enormous – anyone of human stature would have struggled to carry it around. _Perhaps he was forced to leave it here?_ I theorised. Even for a well-built figure like Aldous, it would have been a gruelling task to transport such a mighty weapon all the way down the mountain. But something about this explanation didn't sit well with me. _I hope we're not walking into a trap_ , I thought anxiously.

My concentration was broken by the sudden appearance of a voice. "Heya!" I heard from behind me, making me almost jump with surprise. I spun around to find Flowey lurking there. Even after our time together, he was still more than capable of catching me by surprise. He was in the spot where the throne had once been, surrounded by all the other flowers. The lingering burn marks that covered him clearly distinguished him from his brothers and sisters. "You're finally here!" he said with a pleasant, friendly smile. "I can tell you've been thinking hard about things." He paused. He was silent for a while, his joviality gradually evaporating and replaced with a more distant tone. Eventually, he looked up at me. "Well, are you ready?" he asked apprehensively.

I nodded. "Yes," I answered without hesitation. "Let's go."

It was time for me to bid farewell to this place. After everything we'd endured in the Underground, I was fully prepared for the challenges ahead. Or so I thought.

What followed saw everything change – I hope, for the last time.


	19. Chapter 19 - Full Circle

I followed Flowey through the large doorway that stood towards the back of the Throne Room. I was starting to feel a strange excitement – a nervous energy. Our journey was almost over.

I fired a quick look behind me to see if anyone was following us, but there was no-one there. It was just me and Flowey, as always. I took one final look at the golden flowers that decorated the Throne Room. I knew I would see many more of those flowers back on the Surface. The sight was heartening, filling me with resolve to press on.

Together we stepped into a small, empty chamber made of simple, grey rock. Though completely plain, I immediately noticed how tall the chamber appeared to be. The rocky walls that surrounded us were the height of watchtowers, stretching up and up. Looking up, I couldn't even see the ceiling – the tops of the rocks seemed to disappear into an obscuring fog of total darkness. The room's vertical depth caused even the smallest of sounds to reverberate, bouncing back and forth off the walls.

Flowey took up position in the centre of the chamber where the rock of the cave floor took on a slightly lighter shade. He wore an unassuming smile but refused to say a word. I got the sense he was waiting for me to move.

If I looked to my right, I could see a long, narrow passageway leading out of the chamber we stood in. Peering closer, I caught a glimpse of a gentle glow at the far end of the passageway. _Sunlight!_ I marvelled. The rays trickled down through the cave entrance, shimmered on the dusty ground like gold. The sight of it after so long was powerfully enticing – it practically beckoned me to approach. I was transfixed, desperate to see the Sun again. Without thinking, I took a step forward, then another, then….

The distant light erupted before my eyes. I was suddenly hit by a powerful rush of thoughts and images, converging and coalescing into a single vision. The vision seized my consciousness, holding my mind and body hostage as it played out in front of me. There was a distinctive vividness to it – a sharpness and clarity that gave the scene a disturbingly lifelike quality.

The vision concluded in a burst of flaring light. I was back in that small chamber, staring at the end of the passageway. I felt sick. I stumbled backwards, a hand grasping my brow. I thought I might collapse there and then. What I saw... I cannot articulate here, but it chilled me to my very core.

I turned to face Flowey. He looked at me, clearly puzzled by my consternation. "What's the matter?" he asked curiously. "Having second thoughts?"

I looked at him, terrified. The intensity of the vision had left my eyesight shaky and riddled with double-vision – I was still readjusting to the dingy half-light of the Underground. "I-I saw something," I stuttered, forcing the words from my lips. "A vision, j-just like in Waterfall."

Flowey's expression was suddenly serious, a light returning to his eyes as he took note of my distress. However, he didn't exhibit any sort of surprise, almost as if he'd been expecting an intervention to occur. He didn't move either, choosing to stay rooted to his spot in the centre of the chamber. "I'm all ears," he replied as he looked up at the half-burnt petals that lined his head. He noted the absence with a disgruntled frown. "I mean... I'm listening. You get the picture," he scowled, irritated by his small blunder. "What did you see?"

I took a deep breath to steady myself. "We were here, in this very room," I relayed, my voice shaking. "I was about to leave for the surface." I paused, trying to find my tongue as my head swam with manic thoughts. "You… you were telling me not to go," I continued. "When I insisted, you freaked out. You went all crazy. Flowey, you..."

I looked him in the eyes. I was struggling to speak; my own words were terrifying me.

"You killed me," I said, my voice a whisper.

Flowey was silent. I was conscious of the only sound in that room – my heartbeat. It seemed to echo within that small chamber. Nobody moved. Finally, Flowey was bold enough to speak. "This 'vision' of yours… are you certain that's what you saw?" he asked tentatively. "And… do you think it's something that could happen?"

I turned away from him – the mere thought of it was too awful. "Flowey... I wanted to believe that these visions are too horrible to be true. But I know I can't ignore them. There IS something real about them – I can feel it." I remembered my vision of him burning in the fire, and how it had come true so soon after I'd predicted it. _Is the same thing going to happen here?_ I agonized _. Will this vision come true too?_ I looked up from the floor, turning to face him. "But that's ridiculous, isn't it?" I posited, desperately trying to reassure myself. "You would never…"

I froze. Flowey was holding something – a large, clear-coloured medical implement made of glass and plastic with a long needle extending from the end. It took me a moment to identify it as a hypodermic syringe. He held it clumsily like a child trying to wield a weapon they'd found stashed away in a spare cupboard. "I'm not gonna lie, buddy," he answered, a lifeless quality to his voice. "That wasn't what I wanted to hear from you."

I felt a lump in my throat. I couldn't understand what was happening, and yet there was something inexplicably familiar about this situation. I was terrified, but somehow not surprised – not entirely – by this sudden turn.

"But it's good that it's all starting to come back to you. It means it's time for us to start over," Flowey went on, smiling now. "It's been fun."

He was still holding the syringe with both his leaves, the needle pointed directly at me. "W-What is that?" I finally stammered, pointing a finger at it sheepishly.

He looked up at me. "Something to help us go back," he grinned.

I kept my eyes on the syringe, wary of letting it leave my sight. I got a glimpse at the contents of the plastic tube – it was almost empty. I could make out traces of a ghostly, translucent white substance clinging to the plunger. It looked alien and yet shockingly familiar. I was certain I'd seen that same shade of white before. Try as I might, I was unable to recall the thought, my mind racing in a sudden adrenaline rush.

I was eyeing the needle when I suddenly remembered the pain I'd felt in my arm when I woke up in the Hotel. My whole arm was still aching, even though I'd already checked my bandaged forearm. There had been no infection or bleeding, nothing at all. But, as I considered this, a horrible idea suddenly sprang into my mind. _Unless… is it possible?_

I hastily rolled my sleeve, past the bandaged forearm, all the way up to the shoulder. Sure enough, there was a red mark on my upper arm where the skin was broken – an injection mark. It had been clumsily done, patches of coagulated blood surrounding the mark.

Flowey glanced at my exposed arm, dropping the empty syringe to the ground in shock. "Yikes, sorry about the mess!" he grimaced. "I suppose it's a good thing I ain't a doctor, huh?" he laughed, sticking his tongue out at me in jest.

I stared at him wide-eyed, unable to speak. My heart was pounding rapidly, each individual beat almost choking in its intensity.

Flowey studied my panicked expression with a questioning look. "Gee, you really are clueless about all this, aren't ya?" he commented with a dry chuckle. Even so, he only seemed half-amused – I could tell there was something about my reaction that he'd found troubling. "I never got why someone as determined as you would have so much trouble acknowledging your own powers," he confessed.

My mind floundering, I willed myself to snap out of my shock and try to engage with what he was telling me. "S-So it's true? I have this… determination?" I asked hesitantly, finally finding my voice.

"Pal, you don't just _have_ it!" Flowey remarked in exasperated disbelief. "You're the strongest! Your power is unlike anything I've ever seen before!"

I still found it so hard to believe. It seemed incomprehensible to me that I should have this 'determination' – a power Flowey had claimed could reverse and 'reset' time itself. Simultaneously, I couldn't deny that there was _something_ there: some sort of inner power that I had seized upon. _It might even be the reason I'm alive right now_ , I considered as I thought back over the dangers I'd encountered. Regardless, I had no idea how I had come to wield such power, or even _how_ to wield it. To a point, I could share in Flowey's confusion: how _had_ I come to gain such power with so little awareness of it?

Flowey registered my doubts. "You're powerful – far more powerful than you think," he reiterated, seeking to assure me of the truth of his claims. "I sensed it the moment I found you in the Ruins. Then, when I played that trick on you in Waterfall, I saw it for myself. I felt your determination as it peaked! Your soul was practically going into overdrive!" The very memory of that time seemed to excite him.

"But you told me about the powers of determination!" I exclaimed, still reeling from these revelations. "You never mentioned any of _this_! You never said anything about being able to see the future!"

Flowey stifled a laugh, holding the back of one of his leaves to his mouth. "Simpleton. You still don't get it, do you?" he smirked. "You aren't seeing the future! Those are your _memories_."

I froze. I was completely stunned. My limbs were paralysed, unable to move. But my mind raged, a tidal wave of thoughts crashing down all at once. "My… memories?" I gasped. I could feel my jaw hanging open.

Flowey nodded calmly. "Your memories are beginning to return. What you saw is exactly what happened last time." He held his leaves out wide, leaning inward. "Do you understand? We've done this all before! We made it all the way across the Underground and got to this exact point. Then you caused it all to reset – and poof! Here we are, once again."

I didn't know how to react. The enormity of the situation dwarfed me and yet it seemed like it'd all taken place in the background, out of my sight. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?" I demanded, taking a couple of steps towards him, walking away from the tunnel that led back up to the Surface. "Why keep it a secret?!"

"Hold your horses there, pal," Flowey cautioned me. "You need to listen: I don't remember a thing."

I paused with surprise, thrown off guard by his admission. "What? You're saying... neither of us can remember?"

Flowey looked around the small room nervously. He seemed troubled. "I mean, I _should_ remember. We both should!" he deliberated with a hint of concerned agitation. "That's how it's meant to work. There's something a little different about you. Your powers don't seem to work the same."

"If you don't remember anything, how can you possibly know all of this for certain?" I asserted. "You're just going on my word."

Flowey nodded an affirmative. "I am. But you predicted I would end up like this, right?" he replied, gesturing to his burnt figure. "Back in the hotel, you also recognised how close we were to the end of the Underground." He paused, trying to think of more examples. "What about that sense of déjà vu you claim to feel? Do you think that feeling comes from nowhere?"

I paused. "You've been reading my journal," I suddenly realised. _So much for privacy_.

Flowey shrugged. "You know it's the truth, don't you?" he said haughtily. "Everything you've 'seen' is just a memory of something that's happened before."

He was right. I had never understood these feelings – why so much of what I'd seen in the Underground had seemed so familiar to me. I'd started to think that it was a side effect of the environment: that being trapped so far underground was causing me to lose grip of my thoughts and memories. I had never expected anything like this – and yet, this explanation made sense of so much of what I'd felt.

And I knew there was more – so many more undiscovered memories. I could practically feel them swirling in my head– a twisting mass, obscured and shapeless. Trying to reach them was like attempting to fish from a stream with your bare hands. They seemed unobtainable – almost completely out of my reach, outside of the intermittent 'visions' I'd experienced.

It was at that point when my thoughts returned to what I'd just witnessed in my most recent vision. "But, if that's all true, then that would mean…." I couldn't finish the sentence. I was trembling all over. "Please, Flowey! Tell me that isn't true!"

Flowey's expression dimmed immediately. "S-Sorry pal," he stammered. "If that's what you saw, then..." His words trailed off. He looked away from me, unable to meet my gaze.

I felt my heart grow heavy, a rock weighing down my chest. I couldn't believe it. "Why?" I asked. My voice was as faint as a shadow. "Why would you do something like that?"

Flowey forced himself to look up at me. "There's a simple explanation," he answered coolly. "Do you remember what I said about resetting? The power to escape death?" He held himself up straight, though there was weariness to his voice. "Your determination allows you to reset at any given time," he explained. "But if you're about to die, it'll do what it can to keep you alive. You'll reset as a reflex." He gave a tiny sigh. "In that sense, killing you would've 'forced' an immediate reset of the timeline."

I was still in awe of the concept of 'resetting' but I forced myself to accept the truth of what he was telling me. "You're saying that if I die, I'll just… wake up?" I contemplated out loud.

Flowey nodded quickly. "You'll go straight back to your save point: the flower patch in the Ruins – right where I found ya."

I shuddered. If what he said was true, then this power of mine was keeping me trapped here – we were both trapped.

"To tell ya the truth, it took me a while to figure out what was going on here," Flowey admitted, seemingly embarrassed. Even with his self-evident knowledge of determination, he too seemed slightly troubled by this series of events. "I was expectin' to remember something at least, but it's all dark."

Amongst all of these revelations, something was still bothering me. "I still don't understand," I confessed. "If my determination allows me to reset at any time, why did you _force_ me to reset?"

"It doesn't matter," Flowey answered hastily, cutting down my line of enquiry. "Whatever it was, it won't happen again. I've taken precautions this time."

I had a horrible feeling, a sneaking suspicion of what these 'precautions' entailed. My focus switched to the empty syringe that lay on the floor beside him. "What did you do?" I asked nervously, pointing to the needle. I felt a cold sweat begin to creep over me.

Flowey looked at the needle by his side with a mischievous smile. "This is a little thing I found rummaging around in that big ol' Laboratory you might have seen." He rested a single leaf on the syringe, but chose not to pick it off the floor. "It's determination: a synthesised version designed for monsters," Flowey said, his grin widening. "I'm tellin' ya, that lady had some crazy things locked away in–"

"You used that stuff on me?!" I exclaimed in revulsion. I placed a trembling hand on the mark just below my shoulder.

Flowey gave me an unimpressed look. "Just think of it as a top-up," he said flatly. "You still don't know what you're capable of. You… lack control." His voice was quiet but firm. His expression was one of deadly seriousness. "I did it to make you stronger. I need you to be strong."

I shivered. This was worse than I ever could have imagined. Though I couldn't explain his actions, I knew Flowey was planning something sinister involving me and my power.

In the back of my head, I could hear a small sound resembling a group of muffled voices. These sounds circled endlessly within that tiny chamber. I couldn't tell if what I was hearing was real, unable to differentiate it from the maelstrom of thoughts that coursed through my mind. Flowey took no notice.

"There's one thing I need to know: is there anything else you remember?" Flowey asked, maintaining his stern look. "If you remember anything else, it could help us."

I paused as I considered his question. In my desperate state of mind, I wanted to be accurate as well as sincere. "No. They only appear to me in flashes," I answered, using this to propel into my next question. "Why is this happening? How am I only starting to remember these things just now?"

Flowey took a deep breath. He seemed uncomfortable, like a child who'd been caught misbehaving. "It could be a side-effect," he said in conjecture. "From what I can tell, you've got two types of determination in your system: your human determination, and the stuff that scientist lady kept bottled up in her lab – the monster strain. Natural and synthetic." He held out his leaves to illustrate these two types, or opposites. Slowly, he brought them both together. "It's possible there might be… a conflict between the two," he added.

"A conflict?" I pursued anxiously. I was beginning to feel nauseous.

Flowey gazed at the empty syringe that lay on the floor next to him. "Look, I took a risk," he said, a look of guilt on his face. "But what's a little bit of extra determination gonna do to ya? You seem fine right now."

I had no idea how he was able to believe such a thing. I was positively sick to my stomach, though I couldn't tell if it was caused by what he'd injected into me, or the bouts of fear I was suffering through. "I don't feel fine," I despaired. "I didn't ask for this, Flowey. None of this feels right at all."

Flowey frowned, suddenly irritated. "Don't be such a hypochondriac," he snapped. "That's weakling talk. You need to be strong if you want to avoid the same fate as last time!"

His condescending remarks caught me off-balance. I could feel my anger begin to bubble up like a cauldron. I clenched my fists tight, causing a sharp pain to shoot up my left arm. I bit it back, not wanting to show any sign of weakness. "Why do you need me?" I questioned him with a glare. "You told me you have determination. Why don't you reset it all yourself?"

"Do I need to keep saying it? It's your power, pal!" Flowey sighed. "Your superior determination is drowning mine out. With you here, there's no way I can reset." He half-smirked as he considered the strange irony of the situation. "Even if I could, my save point is too far back. It's no good," he added. "What I need is YOUR save point – from when you first fell into the Underground."

His explanations were infuriating me. The levels of deception he'd employed against me were bad enough – but he showed no consideration for my part in any of this. To him, I was simply a pawn in the game he was trying to play – a game I could barely understand. "You're using me," I said spitefully. "You don't care what happens to me."

Flowey furrowed his brow with a strange concern. "Buddy, that's not true at all," he retorted. "Things will be fine. I just need you to trust me."

I almost wanted to laugh. "Trust you?! You've tricked me over and over!" I argued back, raising my voice. "I wanted to give you another chance! How can you be so dishonest?" I was getting angrier by the second. This whole time, he'd been taking me for a ride, all under the guise of wanting to help me get home. I'd had enough of his trickery and secret little plots.

"Look, I had no choice!" Flowey protested half-heartedly. "I'm only tryin' to give you the best chance. Things will be different next time, I promise."

"Will they?" I retorted angrily. "If we start over, who's to say you wouldn't do the same thing again and again?"

Flowey appeared started by my suggestion. "N-No, I wouldn't..." he began unconvincingly.

"I can't trust a single thing you say anymore!" I cried, cutting him off. "You don't even trust yourself, and now I see why!"

Flowey's eyes widened with shocked alarm. He looked like he'd had the wind knocked out of him. I watched as he seemed to curl up at my words. He fell silent, his gaze falling to the floor. He seemed devastated. I knew I'd hurt him, but I didn't care. _He deserves it_ , I told myself vengefully. _How dare he drag me into this madness?_

Flowey remained that way for some time. "I... I'm not lying," he finally said, slowly looking up at me. "I understand if you hate me for this, but I never wanted to hurt you. That's the truth."

Something in his answer forced me to temper my fury. I detected a sincerity in his words that I had not expected. "Then why are you doing this?" I probed.

Flowey's gaze was fixed to a spot on the floor. The remains of his wilted petals were visibly drooping. "Everything was so… empty… before you arrived. I was all alone down here," he recounted quietly. "No-one to play with, no-one to talk to..." There was a moment of hesitation. "I know it was my decision but... it hurts," he continued in a low voice. He looked up, now able to look me straight in the eye. "I can't do it anymore."

I was taken aback. He had never spoken so earnestly to me about his plight, preferring to avoid the subject as we'd gotten steadily closer to our destination. I'd mistaken his reticence for acceptance: fooled myself into thinking he'd come to terms with my imminent departure, when nothing could have been further from the truth. I immediately felt a pang of guilt for how I'd spoken to him. I could see how much these thoughts and fears continued to wrack him.

"I don't want things to go back to how they were before you arrived," Flowey murmured, still looking at me. "I'm not ready to let go what we have here."

Something about his choice of words made me pause – I could feel my breathing stop for a short moment. Only now did it finally dawn on me what he had been implying this whole time.

"You're not going to let me go, are you?" I realised with a fatal dread.

He paused, then shook his head very slowly. "I can't… not right now."

My heart sank. It was as I'd feared. He had never intended to let me go home. He was going to keep me here at any cost. I could feel something oppressive in the atmosphere. It felt like the walls were closing in, threatening to suffocate me. The small chamber took on the appearance of a coffin. The idea I might be trapped down here forever wouldn't leave my mind.

"I... just wanted you to stay," he continued. "When I met you in the Ruins, I believed I could change your mind about going home. That if we could become friends, you might decide to stay." He shook his head in saddened frustration. "It was… stupid. I quickly realised that I'd never be able to change your mind. Not with your kind of determination. No matter what I say or do, you'll always want to be somewhere else." He looked straight at me, a determined ferociousness in his eyes. "That's why I'm taking matters into my own hands."

The whole situation suddenly seemed hopeless. I was aware of the sort of power he could command. If he was intent on keeping me down here, then there was surely no possibility of escape. "So, what now?" I ventured timidly. "Are you really planning to do it? Are you going to…."

Flowey was roused from his melancholy, a startled look crossing his face. "No! I-I won't let that happen!" he declared defiantly. In the blink of an eye, his energetic nature had returned. "We know how that timeline ends, thanks to what you can remember of it. We can make sure that reality never comes about!" he proposed. "I have a plan. All that's needed is for you to reset this timeline."

I was having difficulty keeping up with Flowey and his suggestions. In his burst of energy, he was rushing me down this path, pulling me along like a tide. _I'm supposed to be going home right now!_ I told myself. The circumstances had changed so vastly, I barely knew what to think anymore. I felt I was powerless but to go along with his plan, but I couldn't help but voice my reservations. "I don't know about this, Flowey," I said uneasily. "What if something goes wrong?"

Flowey waved my concerns aside. "Neither of us can know what went wrong last time, but we'll make sure it works this time! I have faith in you!" he declared, trying to reassure me with a wide, lively smile. "Y'know what they say – the second time's a charm!"

I froze. Something about what he'd said set off an alert in my mind. _The second time?_ My brow was knitted with concentration as I sensed something beginning to take shape. _Second time..._ I continued to ponder. _What did I say to him just now? 'If we start over, who's to say you wouldn't do the same thing_ _ **again and again**_ _?'_

All of a sudden, a terrible realisation entered my mind. A possibility I hadn't fully considered – something far worse in its implications. A scenario that compounded all these revelations into something much more horrifying.

"Flowey..." I asked slowly, unable to keep the nerves out of my voice. "How many times have you done this?"

He looked up at me. He said nothing – but his expression told me everything. In truth, I hadn't expected an answer from him. If he really doesn't remember a thing, then there's no way he could know. _But he suspects it. We both suspect it._

And in that instant, the truth had become clear to the both of us. We had been together for far longer than either of us could have guessed.


	20. Chapter 20 - A Determined Soul

Apologies for the delay on posting this chapter - I had a few setbacks including illness and a hard drive failure. I promise the next chapters will arrive much faster, especially as we're getting to some action!

* * *

Flowey remained frozen to the spot, shuddering nervously. "Oh boy. I really screwed up, didn't I?" he said in a panic-stricken voice, a nervous grin spreading across his face. "You mean…"

"This isn't just the second time," I declared with a troubled shake of my head. "We've been here before. Maybe even… many times before."

Flowey fixed me with a look of anxious scepticism. "I-If you don't mind me askin'… what makes you believe that?" he asked searchingly.

I frowned, focusing my eyes on the plain rock of one of the chamber's walls. "I just feel it. It's difficult to explain," I ruminated, my voice strained. It was true: I had nothing I could show to prove it to him. Those memories were still obscured – still beyond my reach. Though I didn't expect him to believe me, the truth of what I spoke was evident to me. But, astonishingly, Flowey seemed to believe it too, appearing to take my words at face value. _Does he really have such unquestioning belief in what I've been telling him?_ I wondered. _Perhaps he simply has faith in my powers._

It occurred to me that, had I wanted, I could attempt a bluff on him. With him hanging on my every word, it would be possible to mislead him into a false conclusion – to deceive him as he had deceived me. I quickly dismissed the idea, however. It was senseless – an exercise in futility. This situation affected both of us – we were both cast adrift in time. I still sensed there was still little to no chance I'd be able to convince him to let me go. I began to suspect that the only way out of this nightmare might be for us to work together.

Flowey was still floundering from the discovery, his unfocused eyes darting manically around the room. "I-I don't know what to say…" he stammered. It was clear to us both that his grip on the situation – whatever grip he'd had to begin with – had all but disappeared. For once, it seemed we were on an even keel regarding our understanding of the situation. "It wasn't meant to be this way," he lamented. "It should have been one little reset, just one little…"

He stopped himself short. His eyes darted over to the empty syringe that he'd left on the floor. He stared at it for a few seconds. His eyes widened as he had another terrible realisation, his burnt petals standing on end. I also made the connection. "This power of mine… my determination. That was you, wasn't it Flowey?" I deduced in shock.

"It's carrying over… across the timelines…" Flowey stuttered. He was scared – more scared that I ever remember seeing him.

After so much time trying to understand it, I'd finally found an explanation for the 'vast' power that Flowey had lauded me for. I don't think he'd ever expected it to have been his own doing. "Then it went the same way every time," I thought aloud. "That's why I seemed so strong to you when you first found me. With every timeline, every injection, every…" I swallowed hard. "I accrued more determination, growing stronger with every cycle." I flinched as another horrible thought came to mind. "But what if it _ended_ the same way every time?" I gasped. "What if…"

Flowey's eyes widened as he grasped what I was implying. "No! That's not true!" he exclaimed with a set of nervous jitters. "I won't believe that! That's… ridiculous!"

I put a hand to my brow. My mind was spiralling – I barely knew what to think anymore. It seemed like the deeper we delved, the more terrible truths and implications we unearthed. Flowey had fallen totally silent. He was struggling to come to terms with what could be a terribly grim reality. "You must really hate me, huh?" he murmured quietly. "Bet you're wishin' you never put that fire out, right?"

His words instantly jogged my memory. Swept up in this tidal wave of realisations, I'd forgotten the whole reason I'd so desperately wanted to return home. There was someone who still needed my help. "Flowey, you need to let me go back," I asserted. "Those people who attacked you – I think they might try to…."

Flowey looked up suddenly, cutting me off with a light little laugh. "Oh, you don't need to worry about that!" he smiled, as if remembering something he'd completely forgotten about. "I've already taken care of them."

I stared at him, a sickening sensation washing over me. I'd suddenly remembered when he was recovering from his burn injuries from those bandits – how he'd abruptly disappeared as soon as he could move again. Aldous and his gang had run away after our encounter, no doubt trying to make their back to the surface. Now, it was clear to me what had happened. He'd headed them off – caught up with them before they managed to get out. I looked at Flowey. His happy smile belied the horror of what he was confessing to. "You… killed them?" I gasped in shock.

Flowey looked off to the side, his eyes lifeless. He hesitated briefly, the silence filling the room. "So what if I did?" he eventually said. "They'll come back once we reset, just like anything else." He looked up, a sly grin plastered across his face. "What's the matter? Disappointed you didn't get a chance to kill them yourself?"

 **…Of course.**

I choked as I felt my pulse begin to rise. _What was that?_ I panicked. I hadn't said a word but someone, or something, had _spoken_ in my head. I cannot call it a 'voice' for it left no sound. Its message had been delivered in a cold, deathly silence. It was more like a thought that'd taken on a human permeance. No, not human – something else, something sinister. The words that'd materialized in the recesses of my mind were voiceless and utterly hollow. "Don't joke about that, Flowey," I said, my own voice laden with fear.

Flowey seemed surprised. "Huh? Why not? You weren't being serious, right?" His smile dropped immediately when he saw my face. "Uh… are you feeling ok?" he asked with concern.

I felt myself shiver as a dreadful feeling engulfed me. It was something I struggle to describe. In any usual case, I would assume it was one of my panic attacks – the same sort I'd been prone to since I was very little, as long ago as I could remember. But what I felt at that moment was something entirely different. I could sense something rising to the surface, like a kettle boiling over. It was fighting to get out – vying to break free and explode in full-force. "Flowey… I'm really frightened," I confided.

Flowey sighed. "You're always frightened," he said critically, rolling his eyes. "Geez, just when I thought we were starting to toughen you up. Your power ain't somethin' to be afraid of!"

I shook my head, still shivering. "No, you don't understand," I uttered, my voice unsteady. "Before I ran away, before I woke up here... I did something bad. Some people got hurt." I paused, unable to think straight. Revisiting those memories was almost unbearable – it was something I'd never wanted to do, but I was compelled by a mortal danger. Something had awoken within me: it had been there from the beginning, growing steadily and becoming more and more fearsome. Only now did I understand what it was. It was hatred: a pure, unbridled hatred of humanity. A hatred I was lucidly conscious of, yet was nonetheless startled by its intensity. It flowed through every part of me, threatening to overwhelm my rational thoughts. "If I go up there right now, I'm worried it'll happen again, but worse," I stammered. "I'm scared I'll…."

 _I'm scared I'll kill someone_. That's what I'd meant to say, but couldn't _._ That was the nature of what I felt at that moment, and it frightened me beyond words. _I'm scared I'll try to kill them all_.

 _What's happening to me?_ I agonized. I could remember how shocked I'd been when I'd told Flowey that I would kill Aldous. But the memory of that time evoked no feelings in me now – nothing at all. My suspicions were true: something about me had changed, twisted and gone bad. Whatever it was, I knew what this meant: it meant I couldn't go back home. Going back would be the most dangerous thing I could do.

In all of this, there was one person who seemed to escape this wrathful hatred I felt – one person who my heart still ached for: Mom. That was when the idea crossed my mind –if Flowey had really 'taken care of' those bandits, was she now safe? _No – I shouldn't assume that,_ I told myself. _There were others in that place who think just like them. They still pose a threat to her._ I paused as I thought the situation through further. _But, on the other hand, it might have bought me some time,_ I postulated. In an instant, I'd formulated a plan. I decided that, if I were to stay down here for now, it might be possible to convince Flowey to let me out at a later time. _Then I can go back to her once it's safe, once these terrible feelings have passed,_ I planned.

"What are you tryin' to say?" Flowey asked, suddenly suspicious of me.

And so it was that I shocked myself with an unpredicted change of heart. I took a deep breath.

"I…I want to stay," I said, swallowing hard. "I'm not ready to go home."

Flowey's eyes went wide with astonishment. "What?! You can't be serious!" he exclaimed.

It seemed like such a strange thing for me to want – to change my position after having been so focused on getting home. "Flowey, you still believe you're a danger to those on the surface," I stated, recalling what I'd learnt about him from our numerous conversations. "That's the reason you decided to stay down here, isn't it?"

Flowey frowned deeply. "You think it means nothing, don't you?" he enquired with distrust, his eyes narrowed. "You don't know anything about what it's like to be alone."

"That's not true!" I fired back, desperate to make my thoughts known. "I know exactly what it feels like! I've always felt that loneliness – that same pain. It's what led me to run away from home – how I ended up here." I paused, filling my lungs with a deep breath. "I don't hate you, Flowey. I know why you're doing this: you're afraid of being alone. We're both afraid of that." I looked him straight in the eyes, my lip trembling. "Can't you see? We're the same."

Flowey was taken aback. He seemed unsure how to react at my heartfelt confession – he clearly hadn't expected such an outpouring from me. Eventually, he broke his silence with a dry laugh that echoed through the chamber. "You're insane," he sneered. "You're even crazier than I am."

I had no doubt that I might not be in full control of my own thoughts. For a long time now, I'd suspected the underground environment had left me partially disoriented. Even the cold, featureless walls were beginning to remind me of an asylum.

Flowey's cynicism gradually faded away as he observed my resolute expression. "You would really choose to stay?" he asked in earnest curiosity. He still seemed dumbstruck by my persistence. "Life down here ain't a walk in the park, y'know."

I looked at the ground. "I think… the company would make it ok."

Flowey gave a small chuckle. But rather than stopping, his snickering grew slowly louder. Before I knew it, the air was filled with uproarious laughter. "What IS it with you? Are you for real?" he gasped between breaths. "If this is your idea of a joke, it's in poor taste!"

I hadn't meant it as a joke: I still abhorred what Flowey had done. But despite everything – despite the numerous revelations, despite his twisted admissions and his lies, I was still able to laugh alongside him. His faults notwithstanding, I found something comforting about his companionship – something that warmed my heart. It didn't feel wrong to me – not in the slightest. In a sense, a part of me was almost impressed. The deceit he'd employed, the lengths he'd gone through to keep me here – I never thought anyone would _care_ so much about me.

 _He's my friend_ , I suddenly realised. _I don't think I ever planned to leave him._

Flowey looked at me, straight-faced. "You're an odd one, that's for sure. I can't say I've ever met anyone strange enough to agree to something like that." I watched as he tried to scratch his head with one of his stubby leaves, as a way of acting out his confusion. I had to suppress a giggle when he realised with some irritation that he couldn't reach. His gaze returned to me as his features softened. "But I want you to know I appreciate it. What you said just now… means a lot to me."

I could see the gratitude in his eyes. _How strange_ , I reflected. _How strange that I was able to befriend such an unusual creature._ I pulled myself together. "Listen to me, Flowey. I'll stay down here," I offered. "That way, no one needs to reset anything."

Flowey's mood darkened as he gave a solemn shake of his head. "Sorry, pal. That's not how it works," he replied, disregarding my confused looks. "Your power won't allow it. It's the nature of determination: a need to seek progress – to advance. Those desires override everything."

"But I want to stay here!" I maintained.

Flowey shook his head resolutely. "It doesn't matter what you think. Your determination is telling you to leave – I can see it plain on your face. You could never make yourself stay here, even if you wanted to." He fixed me with a searching gaze. "That's how you feel, isn't it?"

"No, that's not true," I said weakly. My words rang hollow, crumbling away under his scrutiny. I don't even know why I tried to deny it. He had summed up what I was feeling better than even I could have – and I scorned myself for not realising it sooner. Ever since I'd arrived in the Underground, I'd felt a compulsion to escape – even before I'd foolishly realised how much danger I'd put Mom in. It was an urge that'd only intensified and become more all-consuming as our journey had gone on.

If I forced myself to examine how I really felt, I could tell I still wanted to go home. But were these feelings even my own, or were they being induced by this power? Nothing made sense to me anymore. _Am I just indulging a fantasy in wanting to stay here?_ I wondered with a sense of torment. It felt like I was being physically pulled apart by indecision. I was conscious of Flowey peering at me with a keen curiosity, as if he'd discovered something in my words that he recognised. "You're really struggling aren't ya?" he pried. "Fighting your own feelings?"

I shook my head in defeat. I was practically on the verge of tears. Flowey gave an understanding smile tinged with sadness. "Don't worry, bucko. I know those feelings all too well." He drew a little closer to me. "If you reset, you'll satisfy those urges that your determination is making you feel. You'll abate those feelings for just a little while longer." He gave a small, hopeful smile – the same hope I'd seen when he'd spoken in the Wishing Room. "We can start over, together. We can go back to having fun."

I considered Flowey's proposal, silently reflecting on the time we'd spent down here together. Our conversations, the snowball fight in Snowdin – even the occasional scares I could look back on with fondness. I couldn't deny that he'd been a friend to me in my time down here – someone I wasn't willing to leave behind. And then I thought about the promise I'd made to him – that we would both go to the surface together. At the time, I'd had no idea what I was promising, or if it was even possible. _Is this the way I can fulfil that promise?_ I pondered. But there was still one thing missing in all of this: someone I couldn't stand the thought of losing. And despite the distance we'd travelled, she now seemed further away than ever before. "I just want to see Mom again…" I murmured under my breath.

Flowey was silent. I could hear faint sounds from the surface world drifting down the hallway. "Let's put this behind us," he eventually said. "It's time for us to get going."

I slowly nodded in agreement. _This power of mine – this determination. It's my power – my responsibility. I need to use it to do the right thing,_ I told myself. _Perhaps… this is the right use._ With that thought in mind, I decided I would take the risk. I was going to try. "Alright, I'll do it," I resolved. It was at that moment that I stopped in hesitation. I realised I was already getting ahead of myself. "Um… how?"

Flowey blinked rapidly, his earlier smile wilting. "What do you mean 'how'?" he asked.

"How do I reset?" I clarified with trepidation. "I… can't remember how this is done."

Flowey was growing increasingly nervous. "I-It's easy! Just reach inside and draw the power out of yourself!" he urged me.

"What if I can't do it?" I put forward, my brow creased with uncertainty. "I don't think I've done this before. I'm not sure I've ever even tried." There was no sense in lying about it: I'd never felt any semblance of control over my own power. Whenever my power had manifested itself, whenever I'd felt threatened, it'd been sporadic and beyond my control.

A worried look of subdued panic spread across Flowey's face. "That doesn't matter!" he exclaimed, insistent. "Think about it. In this timeline, more than any previous, you should have greater control of your powers, right?" He spoke with a burst of energy, now roused from his earlier melancholy. "You've lived for longer with determination, even if you struggle to remember it!"

I wish I could have followed his logic. I didn't believe for a minute that I could be some sort of secret 'determination adept', as he seemed to believe me to be. But more worrying than was what his expectations had revealed about him. _All this time, he's suspected that I might have forgotten how to reset,_ I began to realise as I examined his nervous posture. _Is this what he was afraid of?_

I was suddenly very anxious. _Is there really any chance I can do this?_ I gulped. It felt like the odds were stacked against me, but I told myself to be calm. I knew that, at the very least, I had to try.

I closed my eyes, willing myself to focus as I searched for the power inside me. It took a moment but I found it. It was like a river that ran through my very being – an unstable current of energy, wild and uncontrollable. It staggered me how much power I could feel there – power I was certain I could reach out and touch. _But can I make use of it?_ I asked myself. Redoubling my focus, I tried to follow Flowey's instructions and draw it out of myself. I reached into the stream of energy, like a person attempting to fish with their bare hands. I seized the power, a tingling sensation spreading over me as I felt it in the palms of my hands. Then, almost immediately, it slipped from my grasp, returning to that amorphous mass of power. Persevering, I reached out once more – and once more the power slipped away from me. I tried again and again. Each time, I was unable to reach it. I began to despair – the effort was futile. I could never hope to master such a tremendously powerful force. It was like trying to move a mountain.

"I can't do it," I confessed with a heavy sense of dread as I opened my eyes.

Flowey looked alarmed. "Please, you have to try!" he pleaded, a desperate look on his face. "O-Otherwise…."

This was all starting to sound very familiar to me. I realised in horror exactly what that meant. This whole scenario really _had_ played out the same way every time. The ability to reset by myself – it had always been beyond my capabilities. And I already knew what was coming next. "I can't do it, Flowey," I reiterated, my words final. "I'm sorry."

Flowey looked at me vacantly. He fell silent, lowering his gaze to the floor as he slumped over. There was an uncomfortable pause – I remained rooted to the spot. I noticed his petals shudder slightly. Then, in an instant, he whipped his head up, glaring at me with fury in his eyes. "You… You're lying!" he yelled, his anger erupting rapidly. "You have all the power in the world! I gave you all the strength you'd ever need! You're just choosing not to use it!"

I took a step back, startled. "I'm telling you the truth!" I insisted, amazed at how infuriated he'd suddenly become. I knew it wasn't good for him to get so worked up, especially if I was forced to rely on his cooperation. "I can feel the power there, but I just can't reach it."

"Damn you! This is your fault!" he cried obstinately, pointing an accusatory leaf in my direction. "You know what'll happen if you don't reset! You SAW it!"

His aggression had made me suddenly aware of the situation I was in. Consciously or not, he had fallen into a strange but dangerous delusion about me and my power. I knew there was no point trying to convince him otherwise. Everything about his actions reeked of desperation – a complete unwillingness to face the truth. "We can't go down that road again," I declared. "We need to find another way."

"Fool! There IS no other way!" Flowey shouted back, unable to calm himself from his angry tirade. "Don't you understand? Your determination demands that you progress! If you don't reset, how else do you think you'll 'progress' in this timeline?!"

I felt I already knew the answer. I looked over my shoulder at the path leading out of here, back to the surface. The light from outside still filtering through at the end of the hall. _There's one way I 'progress',_ I thought to myself. _I follow the path set out in front of me._ This realisation was accompanied with a burst of bravery. Any doubts I'd had were banished from my mind, my purpose suddenly clear. _I'm not going to let this happen again_ , I told myself with resolve. I couldn't tell if I was coming to my senses or not. All I knew for certain is that I had to leave – even if it meant hurting Flowey. I couldn't stay here.

Out of nowhere, I felt a rush of euphoria sweep through me. It was a peculiar sense of joyous optimism – a hope that things might yet change.

"I'll tell you what happens next," Flowey said coldly, the sound of his voice stopping my hopefulness dead. "If you don't reset, you won't be able to stop yourself. You'll try to walk on out of here."

 _And he'll stop me_ , I warned myself. _He'll do everything he can to keep me down here._ There was no way I'd be able to escape from here without somehow getting past him. The thought was nerve-wracking, as I knew at least part of what Flowey was capable of. I couldn't know if I had what it takes to stand against him, and yet I knew that his threats would not have their desired effect on me. _The way back to the surface is right behind me!_ my mind screamed. _I'm so close!_

There was nothing that could dissuade me. I took a single step away from Flowey, and then another. Before I knew it, I found myself subconsciously making a beeline towards the exit. It almost felt like I was being force-marched out of that place by the power inside me.

"Get back here!" I heard Flowey yell down the hall after me. His shouted demands made him sound like a petulant little brat. "You need to try again! We're done with this timeline, d'ya hear me?!"

I forced my feet to stop, turning to face him. It was all I could do to keep myself standing still. "Flowey, I realise now. You've made a terrible mistake," I said, an almost serene calmness to my voice. I no longer knew who was speaking: if it was me, or the power I could feel welling up inside. In any case, I knew what needed to be done. "It's not too late – there's still something you can do. You need to let me go."

Flowey was shaking. He was furious. I watched as his features slowly began to twist. He was pulling one of his faces at me, no doubt hoping he could scare me into submission. But that wasn't going to work on me anymore. "If you don't reset… right now…" he hissed. "I'll kill you. I'll kill you again and again." His eyes bulged with a freakish lunacy. "You think you can take this all away from me and leave me with nothing?!"

I stared down at him absently, unflinching. "I'm going home, Flowey."

I couldn't wait any longer. Giving in to my instincts, I turned away from him, knowing full well what would come next. The scene was already unfolding in my mind. Unable to control myself, I took a started walking away from him, the path to the surface in my sights. I took one step, then another, never looking back. I was maybe ten feet away from the mouth of the cave that led out before he reacted.

"No!" I heard him screech. "I won't let you leave me here!"

Everything flickered black for a split second. I stumbled as the ground began to shake. With a loud 'crash', a set of enormous, trunk-like vines shot out from the ground a short distance ahead of me. They rose up in front of me like pillars, completely blocking the path that led out to the surface and casting a cluster of looming shadows over me. The light from the surface was gone, blocked off by the vines.

I spun around. The doorway leading to the Throne Room, the way we'd come from, had also been completely blocked off by another set of giant vines. The entire chamber was sealed – it was just me and Flowey trapped in there. He eyed me fiercely as more vines emanated out from underneath him, crawling along the floor like snakes. They slid under my feet and up the walls like long tendrils. Before I knew it, the entire room was covered in foliage. There was nowhere to run.

Sensing a sudden, familiar presence, I looked down. My soul was there, as before, hovering in the space inside my chest. Though it still shone bright with its familiar pink glow, something had changed when I'd seen it last. Its colour was noticeably lighter, the pale pink now a few shades paler. I finally understood why that white glow looked so familiar – it was the same stuff from the needle, the 'synthesised' determination that now coursed through my veins. It was that same shade of ghostly white mixed with the red of the soul...

 _Red,_ I gasped, recalling a memory so distant it was impossible to place. _It's supposed to be red._

Flowey's expression hardened as he stared at my soul. "I'll bring out your true power!" he snarled ferociously, the vines surrounding him shifting and pulsating with a life of their own.

I felt a crackle of energy deep inside my chest. My soul was swelling with an unstable, volatile power. Now I finally knew it for what it was.

In that moment, I was filled with determination.


	21. Chapter 21 - Teufelkreis: Sans

The room was eerily quiet, the sounds of the surface cut off. I caught my breath as I locked eyes with Flowey. We stood a short distance apart from each other, the space around us littered with roots and vines. Flowey leered at me as two thick-looking vines rose up from the ground on each side of him. They towered over him, their twisted forms lined with sharp, jagged thorns.

Just as I was about to move, I stopped as a flash of light illuminated my mind. It was another vision –a glimpse of the near future. Flowey was smirking as the towering vines began to move in slow motion. It took me a second to grasp what I was witnessing. _I'm seeing his attacks before they happen!_ I gasped. It was just as when I had fought that bandit girl, one of Aldous' gang. Concentrating on the details of the scene playing out in front of my eyes, I had enough time to concoct a plan. _The right-most vine will strike first, aiming slightly to my right,_ I analysed quickly. _The vine of the left will follow up with a sweeping attack – I'll need to double-back sharply if I'm to dodge it._

The vision disappeared in an instant – I was back in that closed-off room with Flowey. As if choreographed, I noticed a tell-tale smirk spread across his face. In the next moment, the right-most vine shot towards me with frightening speed. Acting on what I had seen, I lunged to the left. The vine flew past me, narrowly missing its target. The near miss left me flustered but otherwise unscathed. Peering up, I could already see the left vine closing in, its thorns arranged in an angled, swiping motion. I threw myself to the right, stumbling as the huge vine crashed along the ground to my side. I breathed a quick sigh of relief as I spun around. My movements had been clumsy and ill-timed, but I was unharmed.

Flowey had more in store for me. A set of four sharp-tipped vines rose up around him, plunging into the ground. Once again, time seemed to slow as my mind was filled with a slew of visions. I made a mental note of the pattern of his attack. _Left, left, back, right._ The scene from my mind unfroze as I sensed a trembling underfoot – something tunnelling towards my position. As predicted, the vines burst out from the ground one by one. Their pointed tips were aimed at me like spears, looking to pierce through me. I executed on my planned movements, dodging each vine in turn with all the speed I could muster.

The whole time, Flowey had looked on with disbelief at my unexpected agility. His set of attacks concluded with an uncertain pause – he seemed puzzled as to how he should proceed. His hesitation bought me a moment to breath. _So these visions… are my memories?_ I pondered. Somehow, these memories of mine were beginning to blend with the present. Every time he'd launched an attack at me, I was able to foresee in my mind where he would strike next. A creeping thought told me that this was informed by experience – that he had struck me down any number of times before. That I was only now learning how to avoid those attacks that had put an end to me in past timelines. Shuddering, I pushed this macabre thought out of my mind. However, the mere thought had distracted me long enough for Flowey to launch his next attack. Another huge vine swung down from overhead, lashing out at me. I ducked low at the last moment. It brushed past me, knocking me roughly to the floor.

Flowey didn't appear to be amused by this clumsy display. "Useless," he scowled. "I can't believe you're making me do this."

I looked up from the ground in disbelief. "No-one's making you do any of this, Flowey!" I exclaimed, aghast. "You're the one with the power to stop it! I know this isn't what you want!"

"Shut up!" he yelled, sending a flurry of vine attacks my way in retaliation. I leapt to my feet, commanding myself to focus. Once more, the visions filled my mind in turn, one by one. My first challenge was a long vine, swiping sideways in a vicious curve. I ducked under it and rolled to the left, narrowly dodging a swift follow-up attack from Flowey. Two thick vines descended from above, swinging downwards in a vertical arc. I pivoted to the side as they slammed into the floor, causing the ground to shake. I wiped my brow with the back of my hand. I'd dodged another series of attacks in one fluid set of motions.

Flowey was momentarily startled, unable to comprehend how I'd managed to dodge such a relentless barrage of attacks. I saw his anger quickly resurface as a set of four more vines rose up alongside him. But I welcomed his renewed challenge as I felt a burst of confidence. I was already beginning to adapt to the constant visions that were forcing themselves into my mind. I let them guide my movements as I ducked and weaved through another volley of attacks with a surprising nimbleness.

Flowey bristled with rage. My ability to avoid his attacks without so much as a scratch only seemed to fuel his aggression. "Hold still!" he growled in frustration.

His attacks suddenly relented, to my surprise, tailing off in what I mistook for a moment of respite. As I tried to get my breath back, I felt something twist and tighten around my shoes. Looking down, I saw the roots were rising up off the ground, slowly wrapping themselves around my ankles to try and hold me in place. Though they were thinner than the tentacle-like vines Flowey had used to attack me, their grip was startlingly strong. Struggle as I might, I couldn't even lift my feet off the ground. I grimaced as they began to creep further up my legs, keeping me held in place and vulnerable.

I quickly remembered the hiking pole. Whipping the weapon from my pocket, I gripped the handle tight. As I beheld the gleaming blade, another mental image entered my head of an incoming attack from Flowey – a vine with a sharpened, dagger-like point sailing through the air towards me. I knew I didn't have much time. Kneeling down, I deftly hacked away at the plants using the sharp blade of the pole, their grip relaxing as I severed them from the ground. I managed to cut myself free of their grasp just in time to see the sharpened vine careening my way. Hanging low to the ground, I rolled out of the way as it soared past, smashing into the wall behind me.

The pointed tip of the vine had pierced through the wall, lodging itself in the rock. Flowey yanked at the trapped vine furiously as he attempted to free it, buying me another moment. I brushed the dust from my clothes with a single sweep. My determination was flowing, granting me strength I had never known, but I knew I couldn't afford to get too confident. While I had a reliable way of dodging his attacks, I was operating on borrowed time. If the fight were to go on, I would inevitably slow down from tiredness. _If that happens, being able to predict his attacks won't be enough to keep me alive,_ I cautioned. I looked at the weapon in my hand, silently wondering if there was any way out of this other than the most obvious option. The dilemma wracked me – I couldn't stand to even think of it. Gritting my teeth, I stashed the hiking pole back in my pocket. _I'm not going to use violence against him!_ I vowed. _I need to get him to understand. That's the only way!_

At that moment, the vine dislodged itself from the wall. It retracted to its starting position, rising up in front of Flowey and obscuring him from my sight. I watched as it drew gradually closer, towering above me like a thorny monolith. I braced myself as it approached, waiting for a vision to grace me with information of a forthcoming attack. But to my surprise, the towering vine abruptly halted its advance, swiftly retracting into the ground. It was some kind of feint. Flowey was wearing a malicious grin, a circle of silvery white pellets hovering around him. A look of shock crossed my face. _It's the same attack as from Waterfall!_ I realised, albeit too late. Before I could react, Flowey expelled them forcefully into the air.

I looked up in terror. Just as before, the familiar white pellets danced around me, encircling me like a pack of vultures. I wanted to curse myself – he'd caught me off-guard and now I was completely surrounded. I didn't dare move, fearing what might happen if I tried. I could sense their deceptively destructive effect and knew what would happen to my soul if they were to ever make contact.

Flowey gave a gleeful, high-pitched laugh. "Gotcha! Not so slippery now, are ya?" he gloated. As if following an unspoken command, the pellets instantly turned inwards, shooting towards me with startling force. I felt my soul instantly push back against them, the energy sparking in my chest. This time, however, they didn't disperse. They hung there in the air, pressing heavily against the waves of energy my soul was emitting. I saw the focus in Flowey's gaze as he tried to break through my defences. We were locked in a wordless struggle.

My heartrate rising, I became conscious of a sudden exhaustion steadily creeping in. I was quickly growing short of breath. My soul was drawing power from me to hold off the projectiles, burning through my own energy at a rapid rate. I felt my legs wobble as a wave of dizziness hit me. Too weak to stand, I fell to my knees as the strength drained out of me. Just as before, the bullets were beginning to close inward. They were getting closer, slowly but surely.

I knew with a fearful certainty that I was being gradually overpowered. My soul was leeching more and more of my energy as it battled against the pressure Flowey exerted on me. It was a losing battle. It was only a matter of time before my soul ran out of power – before it gave way entirely. I began to despair. No amount of power I possessed could stand up to Flowey's insidious attack. He refused to relent, pushing me closer and closer to the brink.

"It's a shame, really," Flowey remarked, confident in his victory. "So much power – and so little brains."

I sensed he was getting ready to strike a final blow. I knew I needed to get him to stop right now. "Flowey! You need to see sense!" I panted desperately. "This isn't how it has to end!"

He was defiant, showing no signs of reconsidering. "Idiot! This is how it _always_ ends: with you dead and the birth of a new timeline!" Flowey retorted, fixing me with a determined gaze. "Just what do you think is going to be different this time?!"

The pressure he was putting me under was suffocating. Kneeling, I curled into a ball in defence, covering my head with my hands and shutting my eyes tightly. I desperately tried to funnel whatever power I had left towards my soul. It all felt hopeless – Flowey was too strong. No matter what I did, the bullets drew closer and closer to my soul. Silently, I braced myself for the end.

A few moments passed in silence. Everything was black – no sound, no movement. But, somehow, I hadn't died. The terrible weight that'd nearly crushed my soul was gone. I could hear a faint humming in my ears. Slowly, I opened my eyes. The bullets were gone. Flowey was hovering above me, surrounded by a bright blue aura. He'd been yanked from the ground by an invisible force, his stem ripped clean from its roots. He was left flailing in midair, powerless to break free, as if caught in the grip of a gigantic, invisible hand.

I watched in shock as, in a single motion, the imaginary hand slammed him into the ground with startling force. It picked him up and repeated the action, over and over again. The rock flooring splintered and cracked from the repeated impact. Finally, the invisible force let him go, the blue aura dissipating. He fell to the ground limply, collapsing in a cloud of rock dust.

I became aware of someone's presence. I spun around. Sans stood by the far wall to my right. His left eye glowed a spectral blue – his right completely absent. He took a few steps forward, striding towards the centre of the room. His movements were accelerated from his usual lazy pace. He threw a quick glance my way. I felt my heart jump.

Flowey lay on the ground, unable to stand. He hauled himself up from the ground, propping himself up with his leaves. He was breathing heavily, his expression a mix of hatred and dread. "Trashbag!" he spat. "Stay out of this!"

Sans dusted himself off casually. "no can do, flower power. i heard what you said just now," he replied coolly with a shake of his head. He exuded his typical aura of calmness but I could tell there was a deadly seriousness to his words that seemed to have Flowey scared. In truth, it scared me too. "to think i was worried about you hurting a few folks on the surface." he continued, raising his left hand. Flowey was surrounded by the blue energy once again, totally unable to move. "yeah, you're far more dangerous than that." His voice was like ice.

Sans raised his arm slowly, his hand pointing to the darkness that loomed over us. Flowey was lifted high into the air. He was squirming against the power that held him in place, but to no avail. Uprooted and unable to fight back, there was no opportunity for Flowey to dodge the next attack.

With a single motion of his hand, Flowey was thrust backwards, slamming up against the far wall. Sans conjured up a mass of jagged bones – an entire legion of deadly-looking missiles under his control. By silent command, they shot out at blinding speed towards Flowey, striking the wall with brutal force. The power of Sans' attacks caused the wall to partially cave in, smashing the blackened rock to pieces. Flowey was buried under a heap of rubble on the floor, unmoving.

I couldn't believe it – Sans was more powerful than I ever could have imagined. Flowey simply didn't stand a chance. "Flowey!" I cried out in horror. I turned to Sans. "Stop it! You'll kill him!"

Sans looked at me with empty eyes. He was silent for what felt like an eternity. Then he spoke. "i warned ya this would happen, pal," he muttered solemnly. I could detect a hint of regret in his deep voice. "i don't like this any more than you do, but…"

He turned back towards the pile of rubble that lay in front of us, raising his left hand once more. At that instant, something flew into the room from over my shoulder. A terrifying figure resembling the skull of some unknown beast hovered in the air just behind Sans. I gazed at it slack-jawed. It was the very same creature I'd seen in my vision, although it was somehow more horrifying in real life. It looked down at the spot where Flowey lay with gleeful menace. As it slowly opened its jaws, I swore I could hear a faint crackle of electricity. Looking down at the rocks piled up on the floor, I spied one of Flowey's singed petals poked out from under the rubble. He was trying to crawl out from the rubble but couldn't free himself. He was completely defenceless.

 _I can't let this happen!_ I told myself. Without thinking, I charged at Sans, one hand outstretched. I needed to stop him from killing Flowey at any cost.

As Sans turned to face me, realising what I was trying to do, I saw a flash of desperation in his eyes. The blue flame in his left eye reignited suddenly, emitting a single pulse. I froze in place – I couldn't move my limbs. I was unable to move or even speak, my vision tinted hazy blue. Sans was staring straight at me. Any trace of his jokey nature had disappeared in an instant and had been replaced by something that truly scared me. A severity that was utterly cold – total. The creature skull had halted its attack and turned to face me. It gazed down at me with a ferocity that rivalled its master.

Neither of them acted. Sans looked down at me silently, unmoving. I secretly wondered why he didn't just do it – why he refused to kill me, knowing full well he could do so in an afterthought. It was only then that I fully understood. _He really doesn't want to hurt me!_ it suddenly dawned on me.

My eyes widened as I saw something move over Sans' shoulder. An enormous vine had detached itself from the wall and was hurtling towards him. I tried to yell something in warning but his power prevented me from uttering a word.

Detecting a movement behind him, Sans spun around. But it was already too late. The vine slammed into him with incredible force, sending him flying across the room. He crashed into a wall in the far corner of the room, landing in a crumpled heap on the floor. He lay still.

I was suddenly able to move again, my sight returning to normal. I looked around quickly. The creature skull had disappeared. It took me a second to realise what was happening. _It's just as I saw in my vision_ , I realised with shock, remembering the vision I'd tried to hide from him in our first encounter. _No, my memory,_ I corrected myself.

Hearing the scraping of rocks, I spun around to face the pile of rubble that lay next to the pulverized wall. I watched as it began to shudder weakly. Some of the debris scattered from the top as a single, angry-looking leaf punched its way out through the rocks.


	22. Chapter 22 - Teufelkreis: Chara

Flowey broke free at that moment, emerging from the heap of shattered rock. Several smaller chunks of rock went flying as he forced his way out of the rubble. He planted his severed stem in the ground, firmly rooting himself in place once more. His whole appearance was scruffy and ragged. He was burning red with anger, his petals covered with greyish rock dust. He shook himself furiously, kicking up a hazy cloud of dirt and stone.

He seemed to forget I was there, glaring straight at Sans who was still sprawled out on the floor. "Take that, you wisecracking scumbag!" he yelled in fury. He was brimming with anger, eager to enact his revenge. Without wasting another moment, Flowey disappeared into the ground, popping out next to his downed opponent. He checked Sans for any signs of life, giving the skeleton a tentative poke with one of his vines. There was no response from Sans. This seemed to satisfy him. "Time to take out the trash," he seethed, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

I felt the ground rumble slightly as the giant vine that had struck Sans drew closer to its target, its enormous bulk dwarfing the three of us. He fixed the incapacitated skeleton with a look of vengeance. I felt the breath catch in my throat as I realised what was about to happen. Flowey gave a deep, guttural laugh as the huge vine suddenly lurched, ready to slam down on its foe with full force. "I'm going to enjoy this," Flowey hissed. "Get dunked o-"

"FLOWEY!" I yelled at the top of my voice.

He froze, the vine halting in its movements. It hovered over Sans, casting an enormous shadow across him. Flowey slowly turned to face me, his head tilted at a slight angle.

"Flowey, you need to stop!" I cried. "This… this has gone too far."

Flowey's eyes darted to the still-unconscious Sans, then back to me. "You shouldn't have distracted him. He was the only one who could have protected you from me." The giant vine suddenly retracted, pressing itself back up against the wall where it had been attached. Flowey fixed me with a piercing gaze, his brow contracted in a deep snarl. "Now… you're as good as dead."

"Don't speak like that," I begged. "Please stop this. I thought we were friends."

"Give it a rest. I've already explained how this works – I only acted that way to get you to stay!" he said with exasperation, though his look was one of great determination. His leaves curled up, clenching into tiny fists. "I told you before: I do things my way. If I have to kill ya to get what I want, don't expect me to think twice about it."

I looked at him blankly. "I don't believe you," I answered in defiance. "I don't think you believe that, either."

He chuckled sadistically, as if the whole situation was of some secret amusement to him. "Once we start over, you and I will have no memory of what happened here. You know this," Flowey reminded me. "So long as it ends as it's meant to, nothing we can say or do in this timeline makes a lick of difference." There was something strangely aloof in the manner he spoke. "Accept it! Do you really think any of this matters to me? I couldn't care less!"

I shook my head. "You're lying to yourself," I muttered under my breath, though not quietly enough that it wouldn't be overheard.

Flowey's expression soured. He said nothing as the air was filled with an uncomfortable pause. No-one moved. Suddenly, the mental image of a vine rising up in front of me thrust itself into my mind. Throwing myself to the side, I managed to dodge the foreseen attack, but just barely. The thorny vine brushed past me with mere centimetres to spare. The attack left me shocked and half-dazed – it had arrived faster than expected, the window to react smaller than for any of his prior attacks. Flowey smirked knowingly. Without allowing any time to recover, he quickly renewed his assault on me, sending out a barrage of deadly vines.

The visions returned to me once more. I let them guide me as I darted around the room, ducking and rolling through a sea of thorny attacks. Though my determination was flowing freely, I could feel myself growing more and more anxious. Flowey's attacks had suddenly became less predictable and harder to avoid. I'd half-hoped that his beating at the hands of Sans would have left him weakened and less willing to fight. Instead, he seemed to have only strengthened his resolve. The stream of attacks he launched at me was remorseless. _He's trying to end this now,_ I realised, the answer suddenly clear to me.

I knew I had to get through to him somehow – and yet, it seemed like such a futile effort. He was completely swept up in his hostility and showed no signs of relenting. _How can I possibly reason with him in this state?_ I wondered uneasily.

My thoughts were interrupted as the speed of Flowey's attacks intensified further. He was going all out on me. Vines flew at me from all directions in a merciless onslaught. Gasping for breath, I did everything I could to focus on the stream of patterns materializing in my mind, like some unwinding, endless tapestry. I dodged left, right, left again, down...

I was a touch too slow. One of the vines snuck through an opening in my defences faster than I could react. It sliced past my neck, leaving a long cut down the side. I winced from the pain, stumbling backwards unsteadily. I hastily placed a hand on the wound. There was a stinging pain all the way down the right-hand side of my neck. My fingertips were damp, the tips stained bright red.

I kept my hand pressed against the wound firmly, hoping the bleeding wouldn't persist. More than anything, I was startled by the viciousness of the attack. _That almost took my head off!_ I gasped in fearful reflection.

It was only then that I noticed that we were both completely still, the vines receding slowly. _He's stopped,_ I quickly realised. I'd become so accustom to the constant visions, I'd expected another one to spring into my mind at any moment. But the visions had stopped. Flowey had ceased his attack suddenly and unpredictably. _Perhaps he's getting tired_ , I wondered. It was amazing to me that his burst of attacks had been so furious and prolonged, given the pummelling he'd received just moments before. I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd lost a great deal of his strength from Sans' intervention.

As I glanced up at Flowey, my curiosity turning to shock. He was staring back at me, his eyes fixed on the wound he'd just inflicted. His look was one of fear, and also, I sensed, a dreadful recollection. I didn't like that look one bit. He was shaking slightly, but he said nothing.

I took a step towards him, my hand still pressed against the bloody mark on my neck. "Killing me won't work, Flowey," I said loudly, breaking the silence. "You can't go on living in a made-up world!"

My words seemed to pull him out of his vacant expression. "I...I..." he started, his eyes darting nervously from left to right. He was in a panic, seemingly incapable of forming words. Something appeared to be tormenting him, to the point where he was overcome with conflicted emotions. He scrunched his eyes shut, the half-burnt remains of his petals standing on end. "I DON'T CARE!" he screeched bitterly. "IT'S BETTER THAN BEING ALONE!" His words echoed off the walls, magnifying their impact on me. I felt myself tremble, my feet rooted to the ground. His words had cut me to the bone. It was a cry for help – a deeply forlorn expression of what I knew to be his greatest fears.

He shook his head, trying to recompose himself. "This is your last chance," Flowey called out across the room to me, his lip trembling. "Either reset now, or just stand still – and I'll make it as quick as I can." As he spoke, one of his vines rose up from the ground, holding itself up tall alongside him. I sensed it was preparing to plunge into the ground. I knew I'd need to be ready for another relentless set of attacks. I braced myself, clearing my mind and focusing all my attention on the swaying vine next to Flowey.

It was at that moment when it happened. Everything suddenly went from bad to worse. I froze. I was getting that feeling again – the familiar suspicion that I was being watched. My breathing picked up as I felt an attack of nerves. I tried to say something but it came out as a stammer. Something was rising to the surface deep inside me – it was on the verge of breaking free. I looked around the room nervously, expecting to see something or someone looking back at me and Flowey. There was no-one there. Then, in that dreadful moment, a set of voiceless words etched themselves into my mind like a knife carving letters on the trunk of a tree.

 **...In your way. He's in OUR way.**

My heart was pounding. I lowered my head I gazed at a spot on the floor, my eyes wide and unfocused as I convulsed with violent shudders. It was almost like one of my attacks – the kind I had endured for many years. But I knew better – I knew this was something much, much worse.

 **Humans…. Monsters….** the thing inside continued, its words gradually becoming more defined – more real. **They're all up there now – back on the surface. There's so much work to be done.** I felt myself subconsciously raise my eyes from the floor. Flowey came into view. He was looking at me with some puzzlement.

The dark presence spoke once again. **Don't let him keep you trapped down here,** it commanded. My eyes ran over every detail of him: his burnt petals and leaves, the frayed stem and the blotchy, dark marks that still covered his face. **He's weak,** the dark presence advised. **You can get him while he's not expecting it, but you need to strike now.** As I continued to look at Flowey, I suddenly felt a profound loathing towards him – a violent indignation at this pathetic creature that'd attacked me, that'd prevented me from doing what I had to do. Silently, I began to wonder if killing such a miserable being would be a service of sorts.

Shaking my head rapidly, I broke away from that strand of thought. _That's NOT me thinking that!_ I defied, battling against these encroaching thoughts. _It's that THING!_ Whatever this 'thing' was, it was trying to exert control over my mind, planting its own thoughts and feelings inside my head. It yearned to take control of me – to use me as a vessel for some nefarious purpose. I was slowly giving in to fear, submitting to the will of the voiceless thing inside. I was becoming more like **them** – or even worse. I fell to my knees, clasping my head as the dark presence drilled deeper into my psyche.

 **Kill, or be killed,** it beckoned me.

Those words made me freeze. In my panic, I was unable to recall where I'd heard those words before. I could only remember being horrified when I'd first heard that maxim – the very idea of it as a philosophy that some poor soul might adhere to was repugnant to me. But now, with the thing inside breaking into my head and twisting my thoughts, it was beginning to make sense to me. Perfect, practical sense.

I sensed a surge of power within me, my soul continuing to emit a warm glow. This power, my determination, was still compelling me to leave this place. I knew I had to obey it, that I had to escape from here by any means necessary – even if it meant hurting Flowey. _The only way things will change is if I leave_ , I reminded myself. At least, I thought it was _me_ reminding myself.

And on the back of that single thought, the thing inside was beginning to take control.

I forced myself to snap out of my delusions. _Get out of my head!_ I resisted, squirming against the influence taking hold of me.

The thing inside continued unabated. **I have waited for so long. But now, I shall claim my prize.** I could sense a silent hint of triumph in its declaration, though the words remained as cold and emotionless as could be. **Let's go together… Partner.**

What happened next, I shudder to describe. I felt a dark presence seep into my limbs, seizing control of me. Scrambling against this sensation, I quickly realised that I had lost control of my body. Try as I might, I couldn't move a single muscle. Then, without any prompt from myself, I stood up slowly.

Flowey was the first to act. The vine next to him suddenly plunged into the ground, tunnelling its way towards my position. His attack was underway, but part of me fretted as I realised there was no vision to accompany it. I was freaking out – how could I hope to dodge if I couldn't even make myself move?

A split second later, the vine shot out of the ground just ahead of me. It was moving faster than before, its sharpened point aimed directly at my torso. To my surprise, I sidestepped the incoming vine with unbelievable speed. Another vine followed closely behind it, looking to catch me off-guard. I leapt to the side with an elegant, almost effortless grace.

All of this occurred against my own will – the thing inside had gained complete control of me. I was completely terrified. The whole experience felt less like an out-of-body possession and more like an extension of myself – like a subtle change had occurred in me. Their actions were my actions. I was a prisoner in my own body, forced to carry out the spectacle in front of me.

I hopped over another one of Flowey's vines. The dark presence already knew where I kept my only weapon: the hiking pole. Twisting in mid-air, I drew the knife-like weapon from my pocket and ran straight at Flowey.

Just as the thing inside had promised, Flowey hadn't expected my counter-aggression. He was clearly hoping I would choose to stand down, rather than turn and fight. Startled, he reactively dodged under my swing and vanished into the ground. As I turned, I saw him reappear at the far side of the room. I noticed it took him a moment to stabilize himself before he was able to retaliate.

I tried to focus, desperate to break free of the insidious power that locked me out of my own body. But, despite my struggles, I couldn't exert any control over myself. The thing inside was too strong. It had complete control of my movements, but was also lending me some of its power, enabling me to move with remarkable agility.

A vine shot out of the ground in front of me. I dodged it with incredible speed. Two more vines sprung up on either side of me in a pincer movement. I dodged between both vines without breaking a sweat, making those thorny tentacles look clumsy and utterly ineffective.

Since I'd lost control of myself, I hadn't been able to predict the patterns of any of Flowey's attacks. There were no visions, nothing to guide me. My mind was paralysed, unable to create and recall such images. The thing that controlled me was operating on sheer reflexes. In a fresh bout of nerves, I began to wonder if Flowey stood a chance against this kind of inhuman strength.

Rushing forward, I was quickly able to close the distance between us. My arm outstretched, I reacted in horror as I slashed at him in a crescent arc. This time, Flowey stood his ground, calling up a thick vine to block my attack. I aimed a series of rapid strikes at him. He was able to block each attack but was clearly startled by the speed at which I moved. As he retreated into the ground, I lunged forward with a vicious strike, slicing clean through the vine he'd used to defend himself. The severed vine lay dead on the ground as Flowey emerged a short distance away from me.

I fought back a perverse urge to smile. The thrill of battle was exhilarating to me, or to the thing inside that governed me. My movements in time with the rhythm of battle, I drew my arm back and hurled my weapon at Flowey. It spun in circles through the air, the blade slicing towards him. Without sufficient time to react, he hastily swiped the spinning weapon away with one of his vines, knocking it up into the air above him. In one movement, I leapt up after it, soaring higher than I thought possible for a human. I caught the handle of the weapon in mid-air. As I fell back down towards Flowey, I seized my weapon in both hands and raised it above my head.

Flowey panicked. At the very last moment, he called up a thick vine to block the attack. I swung down with demonic strength. There was a resounding 'thunk' as the hiking pole wedged itself in the plant material. I could see the blade sticking out of the other end of the vine. I pushed down as hard as I could on the handle with both hands, directing the blade towards my opponent's face. Flowey pushed back desperately with all his might. We were locked in another standoff against each other. This time, however, I was winning – the weapon slowly bearing down on my target as I began to overpower him.

Flowey was straining against my pressure, seemingly aware that he was outmatched. At that moment, he broke his focus as he looked up at me. A bizarre expression crossed his face as he seemed to recognise something he saw in my eyes. Whatever it was, it seemed to terrify him. It took him a moment to find the word that gave voice to his confused dread – a single word. "Chara?" he uttered breathlessly, his voice a whisper.

Silence filled that small room. The only sound was the unsteady creaking of the vine that stood between us.

 _I won't fight him._

I said nothing, sensing my opportunity. I pulled back, ripping the hiking pole free from the vine with my right hand and sending thin ribbons of plant fibre shooting into the air. Ducking low underneath the vine, I swiped at Flowey in a horizontal arc, aiming to sever his stem. But I was too slow. He ducked down and disappeared into the ground, the blade narrowly passing over the tufts of his petals.

I experienced a rush of anticipation as I spun around and ran towards the centre of the room, faster than I ever thought possible. My prediction was correct as Flowey emerged a few feet away from me. I knew I'd found an opening to strike at him – a chance to finish him for good. I shuddered involuntarily as the thing inside pulled at my facial muscles. I felt my face slowly twist into a wicked smile. **Free EXP.**

 _I won't fight him!_

I was on top of Flowey before he was even aware of me. I swung wildly at him with all my might. He quickly threw up a thick vine in defence but was barely able to block my attack. I struck a glancing blow that deflected off the surface of the vine. The pointed blade of the knife swung down past his face, the attack missing him by mere centimetres. Panicking, Flowey called up two vines in the small gap between us. They shot out suddenly, hitting me square in the chest and knocking me backwards.

I landed a short distance away, my feet spaced out to ensure a soft landing. I placed a hand on the floor, stopping myself from going to ground. I was winded and a little dazed from the hit. The thing inside was angry at me – angry that I'd fumbled the attack and wasted my chance.

Nevertheless, I had come close. Flowey was weakening, bit by bit. He was breathing heavily, the vine standing next to him partially slumped over. I knew this was my chance. I picked myself up and started dashing towards him, my strength bolstered as a wave of furious rage filled my heart. Soon he'd be dead. Soon I'd be able to go home. Soon….

 _I WON'T FIGHT HIM!_

My words finally broke through. Deep within my chest, I felt my soul begin to pulse suddenly. The darkness that had taken hold of me was blasted away in a dazzling burst of light. It screeched in soundless screams as it disintegrated in the searing rays, shrinking away from within me and eventually disappearing into nothingness.

I ground to a halt, falling to my knees. I'd finally regained control of my movements. I was dazed and breathless, beads of sweat running down my face. The thing inside was gone, but that wasn't all. I quickly noticed something else that was gone too: my fury and hatred. It had departed as soon as the darkness had subsided, melting away like snow.

The presence that had lurked within me from the very beginning was finally gone – I hope, forever.


	23. Chapter 23 - Teufelkreis: Flowey

Sorry once again for the delay with this one. Work has been very rough recently (think I almost died last week). At least it's a reasonably large chapter. And while the battle may be over, there's still more to come. Huge thanks to everyone who's kept reading up to this point and stay tuned for more!

* * *

Flowey and I were left on either side of the small chamber, squaring off against each other. Still on my knees, I gulped in breaths of the musty cavern air. Despite my best efforts, I was shivering uncontrollably, still trying to come to terms with what I'd just experienced at the hands of the malevolent presence that'd seized control of me.

But there was something else that occupied my mind. Flowey had spoken that name – 'Chara'. _That name... How does he know that name?_ I wondered privately to myself.

I rested a hand on one of the vines to help myself up from the ground. As I got to my feet, I became aware of a sharp pain in my chest from where Flowey had struck me. He'd knocked me back in a moment of desperation, perhaps too roughly. Every breath I took came mixed with a gnawing pain. I did my best to ignore it.

Flowey was languishing some distance away from me. He, too, was looking beaten and bruised. "Who…who the heck are you?!" he called out to me across the chamber. "Answer me!"

I looked down at the knife-like weapon that was still sitting in my hand. My reflection was only just visible in the blade. A spike of panic shot through me as my eyes met the blade – I was almost too afraid of what I might see mirrored there. But it was just me. Still me.

My eyes remained fixed on the piece of the hiking pole – the weapon I'd almost killed Flowey with. The elongated, knife-like blade gleamed with malice. I sensed my grip tighten on the handle. Without further hesitation, I drew my arm back and hurled the piece of the hiking pole as hard as I could. It landed on the far side of the room, clattering as it hit the ground. Flowey was left baffled. "Are you nuts?!" he exclaimed. "What're you playing at?"

My trembling ceased. "I'm not going to fight you, Flowey," I vowed. "You mustn't do this."

Unsurprisingly, my sudden decision to lay down arms was bewildering to Flowey. I had thrown myself at him again and again only moments ago, trying to cut him down. I could have tried to explain that I'd not been in control of myself, though I hardly expected him to believe me. He was still uncertain how to react to my defiant actions, his mouth hanging open. "S-Stop playing tricks on me!" he demanded. "I-I don't understand–"

I took a step forward, reaching out a hand of friendship. "Let's stop this," I offered. I could tell he was growing weary of fighting. This was my chance to get him to put an end to his crazed plan. "There's another way, Flowey. We can find it together."

Flowey fell silent as he appeared to contemplate my proposal. For a few seconds, nothing moved – not even the vines that'd crawled up the walls or lay underfoot. I held my breath. "I get it," he muttered quietly. "You just want to make me miserable, don't you?"

My eyes widened. "No, that's not…."

I stopped myself short as, without warning, a vine suddenly shot out in front of me. I fell backwards, landing flat on my back as it cut through the air overhead. It soared past, missing me by a matter of milliseconds. My heart was pounding rapidly.

As I lay on the ground, I could feel the small vines moving underneath me. It was as if I'd fallen into a pit of serpents. They were crawling up slowly, trying to tie me down. I quickly rolled away from their grasp and hopped to my feet. I took a moment to recuperate, still reeling from the sudden bout of aggression from Flowey. Unlike his previous attacks, this attack had caught me completely off-guard. It took me a moment to realise exactly why that was: there had been no vision – nothing to warn me of the oncoming attack. Without the power of the memories guiding me, I hadn't even anticipated an attack from him.

The moment I grasped this, another vine swung towards me. Not knowing what to do, I threw myself forward, landing roughly on my front as the vine sliced past in another near miss. _I didn't see that one coming, either_ , I thought uneasily as I tried to forget the pain in my chest. I suddenly felt very vulnerable. _I don't remember any of this!_ I gasped with terror. Somehow, I'd lost my ability to predict his attacks.

I grappled with what this could mean. Had the power of my soul deserted me? Or was there a reason why no memories were springing to mind? _The visions are my memories of the previous timelines_ , I reminded myself. _If I can't remember anything, perhaps this is new. Maybe I've never gotten this far before…._

My thoughts were interrupted as another hail of attacks approached. I swerved clumsily in my efforts to avoid the flurry of vines. The pain in my chest was limiting my movement but, somehow, I was just barely able to evade each one.

I was taken aback by the change in pace. Flowey's attacks were considerably slower than before, it seemed. Even with my dull reflexes, I could avoid them so long as I maintained my focus. If he was using his full speed, I knew it was unlikely I'd stand a chance. _Perhaps he's getting tired_ , I guessed. He'd already taken a beating and was beginning to show signs of fatigue, but this was no consolation to me. I was beginning to succumb to exhaustion too, my chest heaving as I gasped for air between movements. Even if his attacks were slowing, I was nevertheless more susceptible to them than I was before. Without the support of my visions, there was no way for me to predict his attacks. I knew I was more in danger than ever.

Detecting a brief pause between attacks, I glanced over to Sans. He was still out cold, his parka jacket covered in a greyish dust from the crumbling rock. There were no signs that he would awaken in time to put a stop to this. _I need to get Flowey to stop right now_ , I resolved. Though my efforts to convince him had proven unsuccessful, I knew I couldn't give up.

Once again, to my chagrin, I'd allowed myself to become distracted. Hearing something move behind me, I cried out as I beheld a humungous vine, a giant thorny pillar, sweeping towards me. I ducked down, my mind screaming that I hadn't acted fast enough – that I hadn't cleared the path of the vine. But, at the last moment, it veered off slightly. I flinched as it swept past overhead, carrying on towards the spot where Flowey was rooted. I heard it smash against the far wall, causing the whole cavern to shake.

I turned around. Flowey was gone. He'd struggled to control the gigantic vine, losing control of it mid-flight and was forced to take cover from his own attack. The wall had been devastated by the impact, a gaping depression left where the rock was crumbling to pieces. I gulped. _If that attack had been slightly quicker, it would have hit me._ I cringed at the thought. If he continued to throw attacks like that my way, he would eventually hit home with one of them. Whichever way I looked at it, I was operating on borrowed time.

Flowey popped up out of the ground from where I'd last seen him. He was breathless, his head lulling from fatigue. That last attack had taken its toll on his energy. I took my chance. "What do you hope to gain from this, Flowey?" I called out across the chamber. "Do you really think we can continue doing this, forever?"

Flowey boiled with anger, though my question seemed to distract him from launching any further attacks. "Don't waste your breath!" he sniped, still panting. "This isn't over yet! There's nothing you can say that'll stop me from getting what I want!"

I quickly decided to change tack as I remembered something he'd told me. "What about your dreams?" I pressed on. "You said you wanted to change, so that you could go to the surface one day." I stood tall. "You're going to throw it all away if you continue down this path!"

This seemed to placate him slightly. He halted, shaking his head as he seemed to regain some of his composure. "So idealistic…." he sighed wearily. "Those people… will never accept someone like me. They're not like you. They know exactly what I am – what I've become." I saw his eye twitch slightly in a manner resembling a state of heightened paranoia. "I'm a freak. Every friend I've ever had, I've killed." He lowered his gaze solemnly, engulfed in a deep, pitiable melancholy. "Can't you see I'm beyond help?" he murmured weakly.

I took a couple of steps closer to him, my back facing the blocked-off exit to the surface. "No, that's not true!" I exclaimed, desperate to prove him false. "You're wrong, Flowey. You can't just-"

But he'd already decided he wasn't going to hear me out. He looked up suddenly, a glint in his eye. "No, you're wrong about ME!" he roared.

At that moment, the ground shook with a mighty rumble. A host of tall, thorny vines burst out of the ground, rising up from the floor all at once. They encircled me on all sides, looming above me like the heads of some colossal hydra. Before I could react, they all simultaneously swooped in towards my position. I panicked – there was no way I could hope to dodge such an attack. In an instant, they were on top of me, wrapping themselves firmly around my arms and legs. I was held in place, my limbs practically encased in the thorny vines. I struggled to free myself but their grip was fiercely strong.

Flowey popped out of the ground a few feet in front of me. He wore a wicked grin. "You idiot," he smirked. "You still think I won't do it. Just who are you tryin' to fool?" He let this question hang in the air as he peered at me, looking deep into my eyes. I detected a strange uncertainty about his manner. Behind his self-satisfied smugness, he seemed genuinely puzzled by something. Whatever it was, he quickly shook it off. "Enough of this," he continued, a jagged smile spreading from end-to-end of his face. "It doesn't matter who you are. You're **mine**."

The vines slowly tightened as he spoke, squeezing my limbs. I tensed up as I felt the sharp thorns pressing against my skin. Some of the vines draped along the surfaces of the walls slowly detached themselves, drifting closer towards us.

I took one look at the little flower in front of me and shuddered. Despite the emboldening influence of my soul, I was truly scared. I wanted to trust in Flowey. I wanted to hope that he would come to his senses, that he would stop and think of what he was doing. But I already knew the truth: he was going to kill me. He would not hesitate. There wasn't a single trace of mercy in the sinister expression he wore.

In my mind's eye, I beheld my death – both as memory and as premonition. I could feel my last breath resting like a weight in my lungs before dispersing – the life slowly draining out of me. And looming in the background, the horror of knowing it to be a sensation I'd experienced before. I pushed those thoughts away. _If I do nothing, everything will end here_ , I told myself. _I have to do something!_ I tried once more to free myself from the thorny grasp of the vines. It was no good – their hold on me was too tight. I winced as the pain in my arms and legs intensified from my struggles.

Then, without warning, something unexpected happened. I became aware of a presence, something trying to speak to me through my mind. Almost immediately, I felt my heart sink with a renewed terror. I mistook it for the dangerous presence from earlier – the malicious entity had resurged to wrest control of me once more. I reacted with panic, reflexively trying to drive it out of my head. Even when faced with death, I couldn't stand the thought of losing myself again to that vile, hate-filled apparition. But, to my surprise, I quickly realised it wasn't the same thing from before. The words spoken to me had a tangible voice attached to them – the voice of a human. I could hear each and every word, unlike the voiceless commands of that insidious phantom. It was a voice I didn't recognise – a voice I had no memory of. The person speaking sounded like someone who was my age, or just a little bit younger. They spoke calmly, trying to reassure me that they meant no harm. They wanted to help me. They told me not to give up – to stay determined.

And, as the voice spoke to me, I finally understood what I had to do. I needed to leverage my power – the determination I'd accumulated across the timelines. The unstable power I'd struggled to control: I had to make it my own – make it bend to my will. All the while, the voice inside promised it would help me accomplish my task in any way it could.

I knew this was my last chance, but I was no longer scared. I felt a strange serenity fill every fibre of my being. I finally had a clear sense of purpose: I would break the cycle using the power that'd given rise to it the first place. I knew it was within my power – and the time was right.

I closed my eyes, summoning all my strength. I could feel the presence inside – they were there alongside me. I heard their words and did as they told me. Calmly, I began to rekindle the power of my soul. I felt the waves of determination well up inside of me. And with everything I had…

I reached out to Flowey.

The room began to fade away as a boundless darkness crept in. Our surroundings slowly melded with the shadow before being completely obscured. Before I knew it, it was just the two of us, drifting in an endless void. Though he didn't appear to perceive these changes, Flowey seemed to be aware of what was happening. He could sense my approach. "W-what are you..." he stammered, suddenly uneasy. I noticed that his worried look contained a level of familiarity. He seemed to have some knowledge of what I planned to do.

However, this uncertainty only lasted for a fleeting moment. Composing himself, Flowey gave a self-confident chuckle. He seemed amused by my efforts. "That trick again? Who taught you that?" he asked with a notable curiosity. I didn't dare reply – I knew I needed to focus all my energy on the task at hand. Flowey's grin widened slowly as I pressed on, the stubs of his petals bristling. "Whatever. You're wasting your time," he snickered in an unperturbed manner. "That might have worked once, when there was a soul inside of me. But now there's nothing – I'm just an empty shell." Flowey's leaves were folded in an arrogant display of confidence as he spoke. "And if you think otherwise," he continued, his sardonic grin growing ever-more twisted, "then you're the biggest idiot in the whole wide world!"

I remained silent. I knew he was doing everything he could to dissuade me, but I wasn't going to allow myself to be daunted. I proceeded with the next step, focusing my efforts as my determination reached its peak. With one big push, I felt the power inside flow through me and out towards him.

This drew a sudden response from Flowey. He recoiled, retreating from my influence. He seemed taken aback by the sudden surge of power. When he spoke, his voice was thinly by a nervous desperation. "There's nothing there!" he repeated, alarmed by my tenacity. "D'ya here me? Nothing!"

I persisted, delving deeper. The truth was slowly becoming clear to me. He resisted because there was something he was keeping from me – something he was trying to hide. Though I could feel myself gradually becoming more and more removed from my physical being, I sensed that the vines holding me were beginning to loosen.

Flowey shook his head left and right as if in the throes of a deep agony. "Stop it! Just stop it!" he bawled. I had to ignore his cries, as terrible as they were. I pushed harder, forcing more and more of my power towards him. He shuddered uncontrollably as his will to resist slowly eroded. And, for a single moment, he finally relented. I broke through.

I was transported to an unfamiliar place. I stood in a vast, empty plain. All was pristine white, as far as the eye could see. The ground was soft underfoot. I looked down, lifting a foot off the ground to see a small, shallow footprint. _Snow?_ I wondered to myself. I set my foot back down on the ground, hearing a soft crunch.

I looked around slowly. The place was completely silent but I knew I was not alone. There WAS something there with me – I could feel its presence. Maybe not a soul but something nonetheless real.

Sensing something behind me, I spun around. There was someone kneeling in the snow a short distance away. They were faced away from me, slightly hunched over. It appeared to be a small creature with long, droopy ears. It wore a shirt with green and yellow stripes, its white fur blending in with the snowy landscape. It was shivering, not from an imaginary cold but from fear. Everything was silent, but I sensed it was calling out for help.

I took a small step forward. The creature noticed my presence, slowly turning its head towards me. It looked straight at me, tears in its eyes. Crying.

It was crying.

Flowey shrieked wildly, lashing out with everything he had. I was torn away from the vision as the vines surrounding us thrashed uncontrollably, swinging in wild arcs. The whole room became a frenzied sea of vines, whipping and slicing through the air. I felt the breath escape my lungs as a single vine caught me badly across the chest. It cut viciously through my shirt and deep into the skin. In my shock, I lost focus, my power waning.

Flowey detected the opportunity. The vines that held me suddenly tightened their grip, constricting my arms and legs. I yelped as their thorns dug in horribly. As the vines surrounding us calmed, I saw Flowey leer at me with a look of violent outrage. Slowly and deliberately, a single vine with a dagger-like point rose up between us. It towered in front of me, barely more than an arm's length away, like a snake sizing up its prey.

I fell into despair. I'd seen something in that place – the creature that'd held the key to ending this vicious cycle. I'd come so close to reaching it. But it didn't matter anymore – I'd failed. Soon, this world would come to an end. The timeline would start over – we'd be set back at square one. I would forget everything – my memories buried under a new layer of determination. And we'd be doomed to repeat the cycle once more.

The grip of the vines was tighter than ever – I was completely immobilized. The pain in my chest was unbearable. The bright light that'd shone from my soul was reduced to a dull flicker, waiting to be snuffed out. In one final effort, I desperately attempted to call up the power I had felt within me. I tried one last time to reach out to the voice I had heard – to anyone who could help me.

But nobody came.

Flowey stood back a short distance from me. He was shaking, his breathing ragged. There was a truly dreadful expression etched on his face. "This ends now," he uttered, his voice hoarse. The sharpened vine quivered in front of me, the point angled towards my heart. My pulse was beating furiously as I beheld the razor-sharp vine. I expected it to strike at any second, to plunge its point deep into my chest. But it hung in the air, unmoving. A few seconds passed. It still didn't move.

I tore my eyes away from the needle-like vine, forcing myself to look straight at Flowey. He was staring back at me, maybe even _through_ me. A confused look of abject mortification crept over his face.

I suddenly realised what I might be witnessing. _Is he… struggling?_ I wondered with a slither of hope.

He shuddered as he held the sharpened vine in place. For a split second, his face shifted and contorted rapidly in a series of crazed spasms. Though he quickly brought it under control, he was still shaking nervously. He shut his eyes tight, desperately trying to contain the forces that wrestled with him. I didn't breathe. I watched as his constant trembling slowly steadied. "No..." he strained, his voice fraught with a conflict of emotions. "I...I can't do it. I won't.…"

He lowered his head slightly. Mimicking this movement, the dagger-like vine slowly lowered itself, vanishing into the ground. The moment it disappeared, I felt the vines that held me begin to loosen slowly. Before long, they'd fully unravelled themselves from my limbs. I fell to the ground, limp and dazed. My head was spinning. Everything hurt. It took all of my strength to push myself up off the ground, resting on my elbows. I was feeling terribly faint but I willed myself to stay alert for just a moment longer. I looked around as the vines surrounding us began to slowly recede.

I heard a noise overhead – the sound of something unravelling far above me. To my right, the thornless vines on the ground rose up slowly. I heard a cry of terror as a group of figures fell from the sky. They landed in a heap a short distance away, the raised vines cushioning their fall and delicately lowering them to the ground. They were a large group, more than ten strong. I recognised their outfits immediately. _It's those bandits!_ I realised in disbelief. _They're still alive?!_

And there, right in the middle of the cluster of bodies, was Aldous. He was a dishevelled mess – the clothes he wore were torn in places. He was dazed from the fall. He looked straight at me. His eyes were wide with fear. He was utterly terrified of us. With shambling movements, he mumbled something inarticulate as he rose to his feet. Staggering towards the exit, the thorny barricade now gone, he tripped and stumbled over the vines on his way out. His crew hauled themselves up and followed suit, chasing after their leader. Just as quickly as they'd appeared, they were gone. It was just the two of us, once again.

"Damn you," I heard Flowey mutter quietly, his voice practically a whisper. I turned my head to face him. He had his head turned away from me. "It wasn't meant to come to this. You were meant to reset." He paused for a moment, the air thick with tension. I swallowed, bracing myself for what could be the end, nervously eyeing the mass of vines that were piled around me. "But now…."

He looked up at me. I almost gasped at the transformation I witnessed. His hardened, stern looks collapsed in an instant, giving way to a sensitive core. "Look what's happened!" he exclaimed in dismay. "L-Look what I've done to you. My… friend…."

Flowey trembled with a sudden vulnerability. I lay there, stunned, as I watched a single tear roll down his face. It landed with a tiny splash near the base of his stem. It was such a curious sight – I had no idea flowers could cry.

But his sudden upheaval confirmed one thing I felt I'd always known: that his callousness towards me had been a cruel facade the whole time. A trick to convince himself that he could keep living in a fantasy – a fake world, without consequence.

"It's hopeless…." he lamented. "After all this time, nothing's changed. Not a thing." As he spoke, he blinked rapidly as something seemed to give way. Before I knew it, a flood of tears were streaming down his face. "I thought I could change. I thought I HAD changed," he wept, overcome with anguish. "But I'm just the same. Still the same old Flowey..."

He lowered his head to the ground. I sensed he was trying to stop himself from crying, but he seemed powerless as the tears continued to fall. There were so many tears, I thought he might shrivel up and wilt. "I never deserved a friend like you," he uttered with a choking sob. "I-I don't deserve anyone."

I watched him for a moment before slowly turning my head to look behind me. The passageway leading up to the surface was left open, the blockade of vines gone. A warm light filtered down the hallway. Even in the face of that light, my vision was blurry but I was entranced by the gentle glow. It seemed to be beckoning me to leave – to make my escape.

I looked back. My eyesight was muddled from the light. Dark spots danced in front of my eyes, shadowy motes rising and falling. Flowey was hunched over in the cavernous darkness of the Underground – the place he knew he had to stay. He would remain here, alone, in order that I might go free.

I decided what I wanted to do. Unable to make myself stand, I bit back the pain as I eased myself onto my front and slowly crawled towards him. I got within a few feet of him. He was trembling again. It was the same way he'd trembled when I'd first arrived in the Underground – the time I'd told him I needed to go home. He seemed to notice me approaching but kept his gaze locked on the ground. "But I..." I heard him start as I got close. "I still… don't want to let go…."

I wrapped my arms around him and drew him in close, his delicate head resting on my shoulder. Though coarse in texture, the half-burnt stubs of his petals retained some of their softness. I held him as he continued to cry all the while. "You did it, Flowey." I said faintly, smiling. "You brought out my true power, just like you said you would."

He looked up at me with teary eyes. "D-Don't be stupid," he whimpered. "T-That wasn't what I meant."

Together, we basked in the silence of that small chamber, the only sound coming from Flowey's muffled sobs. My soul had vanished from sight, the pink glow gone. "I'm sorry," he finally murmured. "We never should have met. All I've done is hurt another person." I wanted to say something – tell him what I really felt. But I was too hurt, too exhausted. I kept him close, his head still resting on my shoulder. Before long, my shoulder was damp with tears. We stayed that way for a long time – just the two of us.

After some time like this, I was beginning to feel dizzy. I could feel my strength deserting me but I didn't even think of escaping, or trying to find help. Those thoughts never even crossed my mind. If I had died, holding him there, it wouldn't have mattered. Nothing else mattered, at that moment.

I noticed him look up at the space behind me. He quickly stumbled backwards, withdrawing from our embrace. I felt a bony hand touch my shoulder, sending a shiver all the way down my spine. I turned slowly to see Sans looking down at me. The white specks of his eyes were alert and full of life, but he didn't say anything – he didn't need to. It was time to leave – time to go.

I looked at Flowey. "Wait for me," I managed with a gasp. "I-I'm coming back for you."

Without wanting assistance, I tried to raise myself up off the ground. As I faltered, Sans nimbly stepped in. I felt his thick parka-sleeve across my back as he reached his arm across to support me. With great care, he slowly lifted me up off the ground. I winced as a shot of pain went through my chest. I looked down at my feet, before quickly wrenching my eyes away. The ground was stained a sickly red, my clothes completely soaked through.

Steadily, Sans turned me away from Flowey. We were facing the long path to the exit – the way back to the Surface. "Don't hurt them…" I heard Flowey say from behind us as we took our first steps away from him.

At the time, I'd thought he was speaking to Sans. But I wonder now… that perhaps his plea may have been directed at me.

That hardly matters now.

We made our way towards the path leading out of the Underground, Sans dragging me alongside him. As it all finally came to an end, I let myself slip away, watching as the light of the Surface slowly faded.


End file.
